The Arizona Department of Education administers the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) for the state of Arizona. The FFVP is a grant that provides funding for the purchase of a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the school day to all students in awarded schools. It is an effective and creative way of introducing fresh fruits and vegetables as healthy snack options to Arizona students.
The goal of the FFVP is to:
- Create healthier school environments by providing healthier food choices
- Expand the variety of fruits and vegetables children experience
- Increase children’s fruit and vegetable consumption
- Make a difference in children’s diets to impact their present and future health.
Schools must meet the following criteria in order to apply for the FFVP:
- Participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Schools must comply with federal and state guidelines for operating the program.
- Be an elementary school. The definition of an elementary school is any school that serves lunch to students in grades Preschool through 8.
- Have 50 percent or more of its students eligible for free or reduced price meals. The highest priority is given to schools with the highest percentage of low-income students to the maximum extent practicable.
- Submit an application for each site that is interested in participating.
Participating Schools
2011-2012 Participating Schools
FFVP Outstanding School of the Month
This month we are recognizing Park Elementary School within the Holbrook Unified School District located in Holbrook, AZ! Park Elementary is a K-2 school that serves the FFVP in the classroom two times per week. School Counselor, Stephanie Peters administers the program at Park Elementary where she plans the fruits and vegetables to be served for the entire school year and makes a point not to serve the same thing twice in the same school year to ensure that students are exposed to a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Stephanie also develops fact sheets about each of the produce items that are served, which are provided to the teachers as a way to incorporate nutrition education into the classroom. Stephanie has provided each teacher with a tool kit that includes a cutting board, disposable gloves, hand sanitizer, peelers and knives to encourage the teachers to explore the featured produce item with the students. The FFVP program is certainly having an impact on the students both in school and at home. The produce manager at the only grocery store in town has been happy to report that they know what the students have been trying at school, because the grocery store will run out of those particular items during the week. Park Elementary School partners with the Navajo County Public Health Department, which provides nutrition education to the students, handouts and activities, and publishes the Nutrition Nuggets newsletter that is distributed to parents and families. This is the school’s first year on the FFVP. ADE applauds Stephanie Peters and the entire school for their impressive efforts to go above and beyond for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.
Application
2012-2013 FFVP Application – Now Closed
Memos
SY13 FFVP Grant Application Memo
Teacher Consumption in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program
Resources
USDA FFVP Handbook for Schools
USDA FFVP Toolkit
USDA Interim Evaluation Report
CDC Fruit & Vegetable of the Month
Fruits & Veggies More Matters
USDA Agriculture in the Classroom
University of Illinois Extension Food Fun from Apples to Zucchini
USDA FFVP Resource Guide
Best Practices for Handling Fresh Produce in Schools
Frequently Asked Questions
Contact Information
Jennifer Gordon
Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Specialist
(602) 542-8704
Jennifer.Gordon@azed.gov
