Twenty-five school districts, including Rockdale County Public Schools and Newton County Public Schools, were honored Tuesday with the “Golden Radish” award for supporting their local economies and increasing the amount of local food they serve to their students through Farm to School programs. 

State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge, Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black, and Georgia Organics Board President Rashid Nuri honored these Georgia school districts for taking the “5 Million Meals Challenge” and pledging to serve more local food in their cafeterias.

In October 2012, Georgia Organics and its partners launched the 5 Million Meals Challenge, a statewide effort to get 5 million meals made with locally grown food served in K-12 cafeterias across Georgia.

RCPS also recently celebrated National School Breakfast week with events throughout the county. RCPS serves 6,500 breakfasts daily for 42 percent of the students.

“Breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day,” said Lawrence. “There are many studies that link the importance of school breakfast and improved academic performance. Hungry children cannot learn.”

The most popular breakfast menu item is French toast sticks with sausage, fruit and milk.