April 8-9th the Apricot Producers of California (APC) visited Orlando Florida for Florida's annual School Nutrition Association conference. The conference was well attended with over nine hundred eager and enthusiastic school foodservice professionals. Health and nutrition were on each participant's mind as break-out sessions and activities focused on topics ranging from exercise and activity to cooking technologies and hand-washing hints.
The APC were particularly pleased to introduce their nutrition education work in Florida as part of the national expansion into key commodity states. The APC sent representative Suzie Swift to Orlando to speak about the programs she helps implement with Schools and Commodity Director, Diane Wegner Deshler. Together Deshler and Swift work in tandem with school foodservice directors, nutritionists, and cooks, to create a focused dialogue, centered on childhood nutrition and increasing American students' fruit and vegetable consumption.
Among the APC's efforts in schools is the extremely well received Apricot Ambassador program, which links school foodservice directors with one another to discuss pertinent issues in child nutrition, public policy, and health and dietary trends. The current roster of Apricot Ambassadors includes directors from across the country, each lending a unique perspective on the challenges and successes of the school foodservice community. If you or a director you know are interested in becoming an Apricot Ambassador, please email Diane Wegner Deshler at dianewd@echopr.com .
While in sunny Orlando, Swift spoke about the recent projects that the APC has implemented, including a recipe network that connects innovative school foodservice recipes with school foodservice professionals interested in increasing fruit consumption and seeking new ways to do so. The impetus behind the APC's nutrition education work is the belief that commodity boards should be primary participants in helping educators and nutritionists do their job to the best of their ability. For the APC this has meant spurring dialogue, providing nutrition education materials, innovative recipes, promotion materials and offering support where needed in schools with cooking demonstrations and lectures. To receive more information about the Apricot Producers of California and their school foodservice programs, or to request materials for your own school, please contact Suzie Swift at Susans@echopr.com .
