When a bowl of fruit sits at a table and everyone congregates, young and old, student and teacher, it creates a healthier community before anyone even takes a bite.

The ability for food to connect school community is one of myriad benefits borne of the Fresh For Kids program, says Emmanuelle Henry food coordinator for schools in the Greater Victoria School District (SD61).

乌鸦传媒淚t bridges 乌鸦传媒� using the food as a connector piece. It乌鸦传媒檚 light and fun because people love fun and they love food and they love free food,乌鸦传媒� Henry said. 乌鸦传媒淲hen you build those connections 乌鸦传媒� you乌鸦传媒檙e starting to build a better community that乌鸦传媒檚 feeling more welcome.乌鸦传媒�

Recently rebranded as Fresh For Kids, the BC Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation program is more than 20 years old 乌鸦传媒� with a new funding structure and the same goals 乌鸦传媒� getting healthy produce and dairy into schools of varying demographics and geography across the province.

乌鸦传媒淩ight now it乌鸦传媒檚 tough for families to buy fresh products for their kids. It takes a village to raise a child, and that乌鸦传媒檚 what we乌鸦传媒檙e trying to do together,乌鸦传媒� foundation executive director Pat Tonn told the Victoria News.

The program connects schools across the province directly with local farms and existing distribution systems to deliver fresh fruits, vegetables and dairy to classrooms 乌鸦传媒� addressing student hunger, supporting farmers and strengthening the local food economy.

Comox Valley dairy farmer Dave Taylor remembers getting milk in the classroom when he was a kid 乌鸦传媒� a tradition that continues with the added occasional yogurt or other dairy product.

乌鸦传媒淏C Dairy乌鸦传媒檚 been part of these programs through its foundation work for years, really decades,乌鸦传媒� Taylor said. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 all about our values, it乌鸦传媒檚 all because it乌鸦传媒檚 food. I produce food. And I think to most dairy farmers across the province, and across the country, they乌鸦传媒檙e great programs because they乌鸦传媒檙e teaching kids about our food, about food systems, choices in food. That乌鸦传媒檚 why dairy farmers like to support programs such as this.乌鸦传媒�

Since 2013, the organization has helped deliver 2.6 million servings of milk.

乌鸦传媒淚 think as we look at partnerships that involve food, that乌鸦传媒檚 what you want, is win-win. Future generations drinking milk, that乌鸦传媒檚 a good news story for us,乌鸦传媒� Taylor said.

Covering diverse populations, the program is tailored by schools to meet community needs, which can be vastly different between urban Victoria and a small, remote town, Henry noted.

乌鸦传媒淚magine northern B.C. with frozen roads and hundreds of kilometres between schools. Having access to all of B.C. and providing the same level of quality and nutrition is fabulous.乌鸦传媒�

Among her schools, each allocates its purchases to meet student population needs. Some centralize a snack spot in high-traffic areas, or 乌鸦传媒渇ridge of love,乌鸦传媒� or augment programs that already exist.

乌鸦传媒淢aybe it乌鸦传媒檚 a secondary school with a culinary program and they乌鸦传媒檙e going to make pies or muffins, they乌鸦传媒檒l use all the apples from that batch,乌鸦传媒� Henry explained.

There are also the educational resources Fresh for Kids has for teachers online, helping young people connect the food they乌鸦传媒檙e eating with the farm and farmer of origin. Some teachers will align it with Mind Up, a self-regulation calming curriculum that helps students pacify themselves and build awareness about themselves.

It includes a component on 乌鸦传媒渕indful tasting乌鸦传媒� where teachers might take a bundle of apples and use the food source as a base for stopping, pausing and slowing down.

乌鸦传媒淚t brings in that social emotional learning,乌鸦传媒� Henry said.

Or it can be as simple as a safety net.

乌鸦传媒淔or some students, that is a huge, huge relief. Whether it乌鸦传媒檚 because they are too lazy to get their act together to make something at home, whether they are hungry because the financial means in their household is low, or they forgot their lunch kit乌鸦传媒� it乌鸦传媒檚 knowing there乌鸦传媒檚 something there. They don乌鸦传媒檛 panic.乌鸦传媒�

The universally available approach avoids potential stigma. Plus, food just brings people together; it乌鸦传媒檚 a culture and a conversation starter.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 not about you, it乌鸦传媒檚 about the item you乌鸦传媒檙e holding. It helps for some kids who have a harder time connecting,乌鸦传媒� Henry said.

The known benefits of a well-fed student乌鸦传媒檚 improvement in cognitive function, focus and classroom behaviours aside, from a staff perspective, it affords an opportunity to send kids to a specific location for a walking break with a goal in mind 乌鸦传媒� and it乌鸦传媒檚 not punishment.

乌鸦传媒淗aving food in the schools is really an essential tool to help everybody,乌鸦传媒� Henry said. 乌鸦传媒淲e know that food and eating are a proven strategy to self-regulate.乌鸦传媒�

Food in the classrooms is increasingly important in an economy where school budgets are tight and households face bigger challenges making ends meet. Tonn notes that $10 feeds a kid for the year.

乌鸦传媒淭hat乌鸦传媒檚 a really great option if (people) want to make a difference in their community or province.乌鸦传媒�

That kind of awesome purchasing power just isn乌鸦传媒檛 feasible without the program, Henry said. Not to mention distribution challenges.

乌鸦传媒淭here are so many moving parts to get food into a school in an economical fashion. Having that purchasing power and centralized option, it乌鸦传媒檚 been really good for a lot of schools.乌鸦传媒�

Visit  to learn how to utilize or support the program.