The Fayette County Public School System has received its third consecutive Golden Radish Award for its farm to school achievements, this time stepping up to the gold level.

Fayette was one of 20 school systems receiving the gold level award, and was among 75 Georgia school systems receiving awards either at the platinum, gold, silver, bronze, or honorary level. The school system received its first Golden Radish Award in 2015 at the bronze level, and then again last year at the silver level.

“This is our first time receiving gold, and we are so honored to receive this recognition for our school system,” says Fayette County Public School System School Nutrition Director Kokeeta Wilder. 

The award recognizes school systems for all aspects of farm to school initiatives from local food procurements to hosting taste tests and gardening with students.

Wilder credits school system lead nutrition manager Ginger McCann and Master Gardener Jeff Eller at Spring Hill Elementary for helping the school system win the gold level award. McCann assists with the school system’s farm to school menus and Eller oversees the school garden at Spring Hill Elementary where he also works as a media specialist. Both McCann and Eller accompanied Wilder to the awards ceremony at the Georgia Railroad Freight Depot in Atlanta on October 30. 

Fayette’s accomplishments during the 2016-2017 school year that earned the system the gold level Golden Radish Award include inviting Fayette County farmers to schools to show students how to measure and record plant growth, compare plant growth with direct and indirect light, and how to cook with fresh fruits and vegetables. Prekindergarten students learned about bean plants and how to manually identify the difference between stems and pods, and how to plant carrot seeds and harvest carrots. All totaled, students participated in 325 hands-on cooking and food activities over the year.

The Golden Radish Awards are sponsored by Georgia’s Departments of Agriculture, Education and Public Health, the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, and Georgia Organics.