The Arkansas Department of Agriculture has announced more than $3.3 million in federal funding to help Arkansas elementary schools serve students free, fresh fruits and vegetables between meals.
The department will administer the funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program beginning in October, according to a Wednesday news release. More than 160 Arkansas schools are expected to participate.
Elementary schools will be reimbursed for fresh fruits and vegetables served to students during the school day outside of breakfast and lunch. Schools serving kindergarten through sixth grade that operate the National School Lunch Program are eligible and should apply by Aug. 28, according to the release.
Schools will be funded based on free or reduced lunch program eligibility, the release stated.
A USDA website says the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program allows schools to "deliver ... snacks along with bite-sized nutrition lessons. This encourages children to try new foods, learn about seasonal produce, and set healthy eating habits to last a lifetime."
Arkansas Agriculture Department spokeswoman Ayden Duncan said the program was intended to "allow students to experience new fruits and vegetables that they may not have experienced before," naming watermelons, strawberries, pumpkins and squash as "favorites."
"(Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program) funding allows schools to purchase higher priced items that are not always within the budget for school breakfast and lunch," Duncan said. "Many schools use this as an opportunity to purchase more local foods directly from farmers or at farmer's markets."
Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward said in the release that the program would "support Arkansas agriculture" in addition to benefiting students.
The Little Rock School District has participated in the program for the last decade and plans to continue doing so, according to spokeswoman Pamela Smith.
The district's Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program sites are Bale, Carver-Washington, King, Mabelvale, McDermott, Stephens, Wakefield, Watson and Western Hills elementary schools.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in the Arkansas Agriculture Department's news release that the program would allow schools to "make sure that Arkansas' students have access to the healthy, nutritious foods they deserve right in their school cafeterias."
"Coupled with my Arkansas Plate Initiative -- a program giving students access to fresh, locally sourced agricultural products at school -- my administration is making meaningful progress toward improving child nutrition in Arkansas," Sanders continued.
The Arkansas Plate Initiative, which launched in five pilot school districts in November, is meant to help districts serve monthly school meals featuring locally sourced ingredients. A news release at the time indicated plans to expand to additional schools in the coming 2026-27 school year.
The program is one of several Sanders child nutrition initiatives. In February 2025, Sanders signed a bill guaranteeing every student free breakfast regardless of free or reduced lunch eligibility. Sanders also enrolled Arkansas in the federal Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer program, helping low-income families with children buy groceries over the summer.
Support journalism that covers the topics that matter most to you. Donate today to preserve the quality and integrity of local journalism.