TEAM NUTRITION DAYS HELP SCHOOLCHILDREN TO "GET GROWING -- FROM THE GROUND UP"

                                            Release No. 0119.97

                                    Johna Pierce   (202) 720-4623
                                            johna.pierce@usda.gov
                                    Darlene Barnes (703) 305-2039
                                      darlene_barnes@fcs.usda.gov

TEAM NUTRITION DAYS HELP SCHOOLCHILDREN TO "GET GROWING -- FROM THE GROUND UP"

     WASHINGTON, April 21, 1997--Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman today
encouraged Americans to "Get Growing -- From the Ground Up", designating May 5
through May 9 as "Team Nutrition Days" for children to participate in
nutrition education activities that show how agriculture provides a bountiful
variety of foods that keep us healthy.

     "Team Nutrition Days is a perfect opportunity for children to learn and
teach others where food comes from, and how to make wise choices based on new
tasting experiences," Glickman said.  "I encourage farmers, gardeners, youth
groups, schools and volunteers to come together to share knowledge and show
how agriculture is the balance between nature and human needs.  Farmers
nurture the earth, and, in return, the earth nurtures us."

     Using the theme "Get Growing -- From the Ground Up," community
activities will range from school gardens to health and nutrition fairs to
food tastings.  "The schools and students participating in Team Nutrition Days
will discover that food doesn't begin in the grocery store," said Acting Under
Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services Mary Ann Keeffe.  "These
activities are designed to show schools and their communities that nutrition
is the link between agriculture and good health."

     As part of its commitment to provide Team Nutrition Schools with state-of-the-art and user-friendly resources, USDA's Team Nutrition program has a
variety of tools to help schools plan for Team Nutrition Days and future
activities.  The resources, which have already been distributed to Team
Nutrition schools, include:

-    How-To Kit...Team Nutrition Days and Beyond -- a comprehensive guide
     containing all the information needed to plan and celebrate Team
     Nutrition Days activities.

-    Team Nutrition School Activity Planner -- a guide full of ideas for Team
     Nutrition activities.

     USDA's Team Nutrition program helps schools implement USDA's School
Meals Initiative for Healthy Children -- the plan to continuously improve and
promote the health and education of the 50 million children in America's
94,000 schools.  Team Nutrition supports schools in providing healthful school
meals and teaches children how to make healthful food choices where they live,
learn, and play.  Team Nutrition Schools are community focal points for
individuals and organizations with a shared interest in working together for
healthier school meals and improved nutrition education for children and their
families.

     "Team Nutrition Schools are leading the charge to change Americans'
eating habits for a lifetime," Keeffe said.  "But real, lasting change
requires the involvement of local communities -- involvement mobilized across
the nation through Team Nutrition Schools."

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