Farm Boy, a leading Ontario fresh food retailer, has launched, 'nourish to flourish', a new initiative aimed at supporting school food programs and nurturing food literacy among students across the province.

Developed in close collaboration with Sustain Ontario and Farm to Cafeteria Canada, nourish to flourish is set, in its inaugural year, to provide $55,000 in grants to 30 selected Ontario schools. Farm Boy will launch a point-of-sale fundraising campaign in-store from August 1 to August 15 inviting customers to donate at checkout to support nourish to flourish. The company will match donations up to $25,000 to fund the grants. Applications open September 9, 2024. Grants will be awarded in 3 tiers:

 -  15 grants at $3,000

 -  5 grants at $1,000

 -  10 grants at $500

This initiative will foster an environment where children not only eat well, but also develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for the origins and journey of food from farm to plate. nourish to flourish extends far beyond the school walls. In addition to funding for in-school meal programs, the program will offer educational experiences such as immersive trips to farms, school gardens, and guest speaker events. nourish to flourish seeks to empower students with the knowledge and skills to make healthy choices that will sustain them for a lifetime – fostering a sense of wonder, respect, and stewardship for the earth.

Sustain Ontario and Farm to Cafeteria Canada will play a pivotal role in this initiative by facilitating the application process, helping promote the program, supporting the school selection process, providing guidance to school communities through access to tools, resources, learning and knowledge sharing activities, as well as working with schools to share their stories of impact.

For more information regarding the nourish to flourish program, please visit farmboy.ca/nourishtoflourish

Source: Canada Newswire July 29, 2024 news release