RALEIGH – Thirteen budding artists were recently chosen as winners in the annual Farm to School Calendar Contest, sponsored by the North Carolina Grange. Each month depicts the art of a student and represents a different commodity. The calendar also includes daily facts about agriculture, giving students an understanding of agriculture's role in food production.
“The Farm to School Calendar contest is a pretty special project. This is the 13th year for the contest and it is extremely popular with students and teachers, drawing over 3,600 entries from 56 counties,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “As I look at all the winning artwork, I can honestly say you have done a great job of capturing the diversity of agriculture in this state.”
Prizes for student winners from kindergarten through fifth grade include gift cards from the N.C. Farm to School Cooperative and the School Nutrition Association of North Carolina. They were awarded at the Got to Be N.C. Festival in Raleigh on May 17.
Winning entrants are:
• Nicholas Ortega, a fifth grader at Sardis Elementary in Union County; Teacher Hali Griffith;
• Blakely Hanlon, a first grader at Lake Lure Classical Academy in Rutherford County; Teacher Allyse Searcy;
• Sophia Gunn, a second grader at Chicod Elementary in Pitt County; Teacher Kathryn Bello;
• Joana Han, a kindergartener at Elon Park Elementary in Mecklenburg County; Teacher Karissa McLaughlin;
• Elijah Hur, a third grader at Holly Grove Elementary in Wake County; Teacher Courtney Przybowski;
• Carly Bores, a fifth grader at Olde Providence Elementary in Mecklenburg County; Teacher Amanda Allen;
• Lillian Austin, a fifth grader at Lindley Elementary in Guilford County; Teacher Beverly Clary;
• Jack Renfrow, a third grader at Rea Farms STEAM Academy in Mecklenburg County; Teacher Courtney Riley;
• Zayden Hemingway, a third grader at Jessie Mae Monroe Elementary in Brunswick County; Teacher Theresa Reiter;
• Victoria Swift, a fourth grader at Coltrane-Webb STEM Elementary in Cabarrus County; Teacher Alyssa Douglas;
• Caroline Moon, a fifth grader at Vance Charter School in Vance County; Teacher Katherine McDorman;
• Ava Lamar, a fifth grader at Highcroft Elementary in Wake County; Teacher Dawn McCormick-Dahm;
• Alison O’Kelley, a fifth grader at Dr. Hubert Eaton Sr. Elementary in New Hanover County; Teacher Sarah Parson.
For 27 years, the N.C. Farm to School Program has helped place products from North Carolina farms into the state’s school cafeterias. This year, the project set a new record with farmers supplying over $3.6 million worth of food products to schools across the state. This program is a collaboration of the Food Distribution and Marketing divisions in the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
The North Carolina Grange ensures that students receive calendars free of charge. The calendars will be available through the School Nutrition Program. If needed, more copies can be obtained through NCDA&CS while supplies last. www.ncfarmtoschool.com provides a printable calendar.
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