COCHISE COUNTY, Ariz. (KGUN) — According to the CDC, roughly one in five children are obese. A program in Cochise County is hoping to combat that statistic by bringing fresh, locally grown food directly to school cafeterias.
The Cochise County farm-to-school program currently serves seven schools, providing weekly deliveries of locally grown produce, meat and dairy products from 17 producers across southern Arizona.
"We can see the benefits from mental and physical health to emotional well being, skill building and also connecting with local agriculture, as well as the history that's rich here in Cochise County," said School-Based Mental Health Coordinator for the Cochise County Superintendent's Office, Lorena Telesa.
Veronica Zamora directs the cafeteria operations for Valley Union and Elfrida School Districts in Elfrida. When she arrived at her position, she found that everything served to students was packaged.
"If I'm not going to eat it, I'm not going to serve it to my kids," Zamora said.
That philosophy led her to sign up for the farm-to-school program, which now provides healthy lunches and snacks to more than 200 students in her districts.
"They're learning how to eat healthier, and we had a really good turnout. They really liked the fresh fruits and vegetables," Zamora said. “ We're all a part of a farming community in some sort of way, so it makes a difference all these different farmers that got together and said, Okay, we're in on this, and it's working.”
The program creates benefits beyond student nutrition. Local farmers gain a steady customer base, while schools receive fresh ingredients at competitive prices.
"I think it profits everybody. I think it benefits the farmers, the community, the children. It's just a win-win all the way around. So you know, why not do it?" Zamora said.
Jillian Werhouatz works with the Cochise Farm to School Local Co-Op and has witnessed the community impact firsthand.
"This has been a great community building, county building experience," Werhouatz said.
Elizabeth Hawkins, superintendent of Valley Union and Elfrida School Districts, sees the program's multiple benefits.
"Everybody is winning here. The kids are getting healthier food. The community is being supported, and you know, hopefully they're going to increase what they're growing and what they're producing," Hawkins said.
The program aims to expand by 50% next year, potentially reaching more schools and students across Cochise County.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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