Alabama Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP)

Program Overview

Fresh Fruits & Vegetable Program of Alabama provides free and fresh fruits to the elementary school children’s other than the school meal and provides fresh eatables free to those children and this is a good way to introduce healthy snacks to the children. This program also encourages the community to support healthy eating habits.

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) is an USDA Program designed to widen the variety of fresh fruit and vegetables served to elementary age students.  The program offers all children in participating schools with a variety of free fresh fruit and vegetable snacks during the school day. In the state of Alabama, the FFVP program is administered by Alabama State Department of Education. The program analysis shows that the majority of children who are going in elementary school had started to consume good nutrition and they are adopting healthy eating habits. This program has helped the participating children create a healthy environment and create a healthier impact on their present and future health. This has also helped many schools to create a healthier environment in their schools by providing their students the knowledge of healthier and fresh fruits and vegetables.

The program works in a way that the federal government provides the annual budget and in this budget, each beneficiary receives the benefit amount. Schools that participate in this program claim to repay them, reviewed by the state department. The State of Alabama started this initiative to provide the fresh fruits and vegetables to the elementary school children; this program was initiated under Farm Bill and the Child Nutrition initiatives. State of Alabama originally started this initiative for the elementary schools of Alabama, its main purpose was to build up the good diet of the children’s of the school, State helps to improve the diversity of foods in the school and to build good health environment.

• Locally grown fruits and vegetables may be served fresh to students participating in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. Fruits and vegetables grown nearby can serve as a valuable teaching component.
• FFVPs may serve a cooked vegetable, such as local eggplant or asparagus up to once a week.

Eligibility Criteria

The FFVP program and eligibility assessment is managed by the Alabama Department of Education. First they check the eligibility for those schools which couldn’t afford to provide the fresh items to their school’s children’s. Then they check out those schools which have high number of enrolment of children in school as those schools which are in Alabama they are enrolled free for this program.

Eligible elementary schools must submit an FFVP application that includes:

• The total number of enrolled children;
• The percentage of children certified as eligible for free and reduced price meals;
• A certification of support for participation of the FFVP signed by the school food service manager, school principal, and the district superintendent (or equivalent positions, as determined by the school); and
• A Program implementation plan, including efforts to integrate the FFVP with other efforts to promote childhood health and nutrition.

Those schools who are arranging the program and they must focus that they are providing the fresh meal to their children’s. Schools must demonstrate flexibility in their program so that they have the resolution to implement their plan. Schools should plan that which type of product they will serve, how many days per week it will be served and the time except the breakfast and the lunch meal so that they can provide fresh fruits and vegetables.

The State of Alabama provides all types of fresh fruits and vegetables to the school of the state. The main purpose of this program is to give awareness to elementary school children and to make them love the fruits and vegetables. Authorities are trying their best that the children are introduced by all fruits and vegetables. This encourages children to enjoy fruits and vegetables “as they are.”

Schools should purchase all the fresh items from the wholesalers, retailers, shopkeepers. Schools can also help local farmers in a way that they can ask them to provide them fresh fruits and vegetable form their farms so they can be provided to school children’s for this program. Schools must follow all the local procedures and all proper procurement; all purchases should be done according to the local, State and Federal Guidelines. There are thousands of students in Alabama and many schools every year qualify to offer the program to their students.

For Further Information

For more information about the FFVP, please contact the Alabama Department of Education which is responsible for the administration of the Program in the State of Alabama. You can also follow this link to get further information about the FFVP.

You can also call the Alabama state agency staff at: (334) 694-4900

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