Potato Growers  Cool Salad Bar Initiative for School Kids

Potato Growers Cool Salad Bar Initiative for School Kids

Susan Allen
Susan Allen
I'm Susan Allen, Back to school is right around the corner and thanks to Washington's farmers and ranchers our students are blessed to have healthy eating options. I was chatting with Ryan Holterhoff Director of Marketing for the Washington State Potato Commission about how potato growers pay it forward with their cool Salad Bar Initiative

Holterhoff: Yea I think that's a key element for our growers they are always looking for ways to give back in various aspects to help the communities they all live in and work in. One of the ways they've done that the last few years is through the Salad Bar Initiative and what they are is that they are "potato friendly" salad bars that are helping kids understand not only the national value that potatoes can provide to their plate but also other fruits and vegetables as well. Kind of the key thing for our school age student today is to make sure they have the right type of food on their plates, and this initiative with potato friendly salad bars has been great.

So Ryan, how many schools took part last year?

Holterhoff: Last year our growers gave away 20 salad bars to school districts throughout the entire state.

And the response was so phenomenal that they are looking to add more schools this year.

Holterhoff: More schools than that would have loved to have a salad bar but that was kind of our limiting factor of what we were able to give away. We will be going to the school nutrition directors conference next week and promoting the program once again, and we will be giving away potato friendly salad bars again this year.

It's interesting Ryan that with all the farm to school programs and projects I hear about I hope parents realize how lucky and unique we are to have farmers and ranchers so committed to ensuring our children have access to healthy food selections.

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