U.S Department of Agriculture Announces 2017 Summer Meals Awards

Three Maryland School Districts Receive Turnip the Beet Award

BALTIMORE – Three Maryland public school districts were awarded the 2017 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Turnip the Beet Award. The award program recognizes Summer Meals Program participating agencies who strive to serve nutritious and appealing meals to youth during the summer months.

Three award levels (gold, silver, and bronze) were available, and nominations were evaluated based on a wide range of nutrition and meal quality criteria. The following three Maryland school districts received the silver award:

• Anne Arundel County Public Schools
• Carroll County Public Schools
• Caroline County Public Schools

The USDA Free Summer Meals Program is administered in Maryland by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and is critical in the lives of youth whose risk for food insecurity increases during the summer months when they no longer have access to school meals. Summer meals can assist in alleviating summertime food insecurity, and can positively impact children’s growth and development by offering nutritious meals and encouraging children and teens to develop healthy habits at a young age.

High quality summer meals provide daily energy and help make sure children are healthy and ready to learn when they return to school in the fall. The Turnip the Beet Award program was created to showcase agencies that are going above and beyond to ensure that children and teens are receiving high-quality meals that are both nutritious and appetizing. MSDE congratulates these school districts on their achievement and commitment to serving high quality summer meals.

The Maryland State Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are equal opportunity employers and providers.