Posted by Cindy Long, Deputy Administrator for Child Nutrition Program, Food and Nutrition Service in Food and Nutrition

USDA Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services Acting Deputy Under Secretary Brandon Lipps with Turnip the Beet winner, Idea Public Schools in San Antonio, TX on April 20, 2018.

There are millions of America’s youth who do not have access to nutritious meals when school is not in session. Offering nutritious meals to our nation’s children and teens that are appetizing, appealing and wholesome is a responsibility USDA takes very seriously.

Our key partners in serving our summer feeding customers are the organizations that sponsor feeding sites in neighborhoods across the Nation. To recognize the important role of these sponsors, USDA recently announced the second annual Turnip the Beet awards. The honors celebrate the outstanding contribution of those who work so tirelessly to offer nutritious and appealing summer meals for children that meet the needs of families and local communities, and enable our young people to thrive when school is out for the summer.

The program isn’t just about making sure that those in need have enough food to eat. Consistent access to nutritious food through USDA meal programs can provide important support for a child’s growth and development. Providing nutritious meals and encouraging healthy habits at a young age can help make children more likely to succeed in the future. High quality summer meals provide children with energy that prepares them to learn when they return to school in the fall.

Turnip the Beet showcases sponsors of the Summer Meal Programs that have gone above and beyond to ensure their meals are both nutritious and appetizing, and meet the needs of their local communities and customers. Sponsors demonstrated excellence in a variety of ways, including: serving fresh fruit daily; conducting taste tests with the children (and incorporating the feedback into the menus); and offering nutrition education activities along with the meals.

And so, as we head into another summer, we congratulate the 2017 Turnip the Beet winners, and encourage all of our program partners to partner with us to serve nutritious summer meals that meet the needs and tastes of children close to home. USDA plans to host the Turnip the Beet awards again in 2018; information on criteria and nominations will be available later this year.

2017 Turnip the Beet Winners Alabama Alexander City Schools Child Nutrition Program Silver City of Dothan Silver Feeding the Gulf Coast Silver Alaska Petersburg School District Gold California Hesperia Unified School District Gold Lakeside Union School District Silver United Way California Capital Region Silver Colorado Canon City Schools Gold Colorado Springs School District 11 Gold Connecticut Branford Public Schools Silver Delaware Colonial School District Silver Seaford School District Silver Florida Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida Silver Flipany Gold Georgia Fulton County School Nutrition Program Silver Carrollton City Schools Silver Wayne County Board of Education Silver Warren County School Nutrition Gold Banks County School Nutrition Silver Cherokee County School Nutrition Silver Coffee County Schools Silver Carroll County School Nutrition Silver Dougherty County School Nutrition Silver Baldwin Country Schools Silver Floyd County Silver Douglas County School Nutrition Gold Muscogee County School Nutrition Program Silver Rockdale County Schools Silver Marietta City Schools Silver Dublin City Schools Silver Illinois Northern Illinois Food Bank Silver Greater Chicago Food Depository Gold Indiana Food Finders Food Bank Silver IPFW Multicultural Services - Upward Bound Silver Perry Township Schools Silver SON Ministries, Inc. Silver City of Indianapolis Parks and Recreation Department Silver Iowa Saydel Community School District Gold Council Bluffs Community School District Gold Kentucky Owensboro Public Schools Silver Maine Maine Migrant Education Program Silver Maryland Anne Arundel County Public Schools Silver Caroline County Public Schools Silver Carroll County Public Schools Silver Massachusetts Brockton Public Schools Silver Michigan Bridgman Public Schools Silver Food Bank of Eastern Michigan Silver South Haven Public Schools Silver Monroe Family YMCA Silver Montrose Community Schools Silver Fenton Area Public Schools Silver Kent City Schools Silver Oxford Community Schools Silver Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency Silver Mattawan Consolidated Schools Silver Missouri Doniphan RI Schools Silver Douglass Community Services Silver St. John Community Improvement Corporation Silver North Carolina Buncombe County Schools Gold Caldwell County Schools Silver Carteret County Schools Silver Johnston County Public Schools School Nutrition Silver Kirk of Kildaire Gold Moore Street Foundation Silver YMCA of Western NC Gold Oklahoma Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma Silver Pennsylvania Project Share of Carlisle Gold Camp Garrett Gold South Dakota Huron School District Silver Texas Austin ISD Silver Smithville ISD Silver Florence ISD Silver Idea Academy Silver Tennessee Morgan County School Nutrition Program Gold Virginia Neighborhood Resource Center Silver Wisconsin Brown Deer School District Silver Green Bay Area Public Schools Silver Pulaski School District Silver Stevens Point Area School District Gold University Hospital and Clinics Silver UW Hospitals and Clinics Silver