Livingston, Mont. (May 8, 2019)—The U.S. Apple Association (USApple) today awarded the last of its 2019 Apples4Ed grants to Livingston, Mont. school Winans Elementary. The $4,000 grant will provide funding for students to participate in monthly cookery and curriculum lessons on healthy snacking.

Following Montana State University’s Harvest of the Month (HOM) program, students will learn about a different fruit or vegetable each month, including its nutritional properties and how to prepare it in various recipes. The Winans’ school garden will be grown with HOM crops, such as apples, carrots, beets, leafy greens and winter and summer squash. During the growing season, students will get hands-on exposure to growing and preparing the produce. At the end of the school year, students will vote for their favorite healthy snack recipe from those they’ve created. Recipes will be used to produce a cookbook for purchase, that will help sustain the program.

Apples4Ed is a program created by USApple, in partnership with the School Nutrition Association and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, to financially award schools that encourage daily consumption of healthy, balanced foods that positively impact student achievement, focus and fitness. To learn more, visit apples4ed.com.

U.S. Apple Association is the national trade association representing all segments of the apple industry. Members include 40 state and regional associations representing the 7,500 apple growers throughout the country, as well as more than 400 individual firms involved in the apple business.