Look Who's Veggie Ready!

Friday, May 16th was a big day for some very special students — it was graduation day for those taking part in the Veggie Ready Program through Small Bites Adventure Club!

This Spring, the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District sponsored 17 Pre-K, Kindergarten and First Grade classrooms to participate in the program, which takes place over the course of five months and encourages young kids learn about healthy foods in a fun and exciting way. Each session provides students with the opportunity to taste-test new vegetables, create simple recipes, and learn where their food comes from.

Over the course of the program, students participated in preparing (and enjoying!) four different recipes, each featuring a delicious vegetable: spinach, cucumber, lettuce, and carrot.

The culmination of the Spring program was celebrated with an online ceremony to recognize all the amazing kids (and their teachers!) who explored new veggies, tried new foods, and became officially Veggie Ready! It was all about cheering them on for being curious, brave, and open to trying something new.

This spring, the program reached more than 4,160 students and teachers — that’s 16,668 bites of veggies! Out of those, 398 students were right here in the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District. Shoutout to the schools that joined the adventure: Seminole County Elementary, Spring Creek Charter Academy in Bainbridge, and West Bainbridge Primary School!

Teachers and staff saw the excitement and learning firsthand.

“These sensory and skill-based activities are vital for my children. Introducing veggies in this fun way helps them meet their goals,” said Marshon Traylor of West Bainbridge Primary.

Ms. Fain from Seminole County Elementary added, “The students became more aware of how to read a recipe and how to measure. They loved getting stickers when they tried the recipes. They were excited about it and very engaged. We will be doing more of these in the future.”

From slicing and dicing to munching and crunching, these students showed that healthy eating can be fun and delicious. And now, they’ve got the diplomas (and taste buds) to prove it.

Congrats to our Veggie Ready grads — we’re proud of your accomplishments this season! Interested in learning more about the Veggie Ready Program? Visit smallbites.club. Curious about opportunities for the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District to sponsor your classroom in the program? Please visit our webpage, http://flintriverswcd.org/education-programming/grants-lnfft-48ak2-w28w4-gbwpf, or reach out to our Education Coordinator, Abby Bodiford, at 229-849-2415 ext:101 or email abby@flintriverswcd.org .