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School Meal Day

Colorado Proud logo

 

When: Tuesday, October 3, 2023

Who to contact: Danielle Trotta, danielle.trotta@state.co.us, or Rebecca Boone, rebecca.boone@state.co.us

How to participate: We’d love for schools to share their plans for Colorado Proud School Meal Day, here

The Colorado Departments of Agriculture and Education would like to invite Colorado schools to participate in the annual Colorado Proud School Meal Day on Tuesday, October 3, 2023. This is a day to celebrate Colorado agriculture and to educate schoolchildren about healthy eating.

In order to encourage eating habits that will promote a lifetime of optimal health, it is essential to teach children about the importance of eating foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and low-fat dairy products. Proper nutrition is critical if our educational programs and our students are going to continue to excel.

Colorado farmers and ranchers produce food items that provide the nutrients children and adults need to thrive. Agribusinesses contribute $47 billion to the state economy annually and provide more than 195,000 jobs. With more than 38,000 farms and ranches encompassing 31 million acres, it is easy to understand the value this industry adds to Colorado.

Thank you for participating in this year's Colorado Proud School Meal Day. We look forward to making this an exciting annual event. If you have any questions or if you need additional supplies, please contact Danielle Trotta at 970-372-9351.

Are you a school participating in Colorado Proud School Meal Day? Please fill out this form to let us know how you'll be celebrating!

 

Materials

Colorado Kids Produce Activity Guide
Colorado Reader-Produce
Colorado Proud School Meal Day Proclamation
Colorado Proud Facebook Page
Botanical Interests Seed Donation Request

School Meal Day Ideas

Douglas County School District Celebrates Colorado Proud School Meal Day 2016

Sourcing Local

www.ColoradoProud.com
Find Colorado Products(Colorado MarketMaker)
Using Colorado MarketMaker for Farm to School Success Tip Sheet
Colorado Produce Calendar
Colorado Farm Fresh Directory
Colorado Farm Fresh Directory - Spanish version
Procuring Local Foods For Child Nutrition Programs
Tips for Picking Colorado Produce

Partners

Colorado Beef Council
Colorado Department of Education
Colorado Egg Producers
Colorado Food Systems Advisory Council
Colorado Foundation for Agriculture
Colorado Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association
Colorado State University Extension, Colorado 4-H Youth Development
CommonGround
DairyMAX
Food Waste Recovery Challenge, Environmental Protection Agency
LiveWell Colorado
Rocky Mountain Farmers Union
Slow Food Denver

Colorado Department of Agriculture Resources

8 Great Reasons to Buy Local
Colorado Agriculture from A to Z
Colorado Agriculture Map
Colorado Agriculture Map for Kids
Colorado Proud Fact Sheet
Colorado Proud Fun Facts
Learn About Colorado Agriculture

Additional Resources

Beef for the Classroom Grant
Beef Websites for Education
Beef Trivia
Chef Ann Foundation
Colorado Dairy Farm-to-School Program
Dairy Discovery Zone
Farm to School Census Information
General Healthy School Efforts at LiveWell
LiveWell's School Food Initiatives
www.choosemyplate.gov
National Farm to School Network
USDA Farm to School
Whole Kids Foundation Grant

Educational Tools

My American Farm Game

Videos