October kicks off National Farm to School Month and National Apple Month. Purdue Extension, the Indiana Department of Education and Indiana Grown for Schools are celebrating with the Indiana Great Apple Crunch.
Across Indiana, school groups, community groups and businesses will unite to enjoy locally produced apples and learn about related topics, such as healthy eating, food production and agriculture careers. Crunchers of all ages will enjoy apple-themed activities, including apple pie contests, orchard trips, cider tastings and more.
In 2023, the program had more than 700 partners and 203,583 “crunchers,” or participants, in 75 counties, over 7,000 more participants compared with 2022.
“The Indiana Great Apple Crunch has flourished since we joined forces with the Indiana Department of Education and the Indiana Grown for Schools Network,” said Laura Dodds, Extension Farm to School liaison. “We’re excited to see more schools and organizations come together to celebrate Indiana agriculture with the simple, joyful act of crunching into a fresh, local apple!”
Indiana Apple Crunch is part of the regional Great Lakes Apple Crunch effort, which is 11 years old and includes Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Iowa and Ohio.
This year, the Indiana Apple Crunch seeks to engage over 250,000 participants from all 92 counties. To learn more or register a group, visit the Indiana Apple Crunch website.