11/28/08 Year four for Washington Potato Commission's Kids are Growing program

Farm and Ranch November 28, 2008 It's application time for some western Washington elementary schools to get involved with the Washington State Potato Commission's popular Kids are Growing program. Commission Assistant Executive Director Karen Bonaudi reminds us what the program does. Bonaudi: "This will be the fourth year that we have offered greenhouses to five elementary schools in the Puget Sound area. These are for kids who might not know where their food comes from either because they are living in apartments and don't have backyard gardens or just haven't been exposed to gardening or farming." Bonaudi says the Potato Commission puts up one thousand dollars each for five schools to outfit a greenhouse and those are provided by International Greenhouse Company. Bonaudi: "So it is a collaboration between the two of us and also KING 5 in Seattle which markets it for us, let's people know about. So that more people actually hear about it than apply." In addition to the usual application requirements, there is something new this year. Bonaudi: "We are also asking students to come up with a healthy potato recipe. So it will be interesting to see what students come up with." That's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report. Brought to you in part by the Washington State Potato Commission. Nutrition today! Good health tomorrow! I'm Bob Hoff on the Northwest Ag Information Network.