School District continues to add locally-sourced food to its menus; Sweet Georgia Fuyu Persimmons

On October 31, Bulloch County Schools' cafeterias served up a fresh, delicious fall fruit salad featuring locally-grown Sweet Georgia Fuyu Persimmons. 

Early that morning in the Langston Chapel schools' kitchen, Sharena Williams and Cafeteria Manager Sarah James could be seen preparing the fruit salad prior to the mid-day lunch service. Williams mixed large bowls of the persimmons with pineapple and fresh, plump red grapes to create a vibrant mix of flavors, colors, and textures that will highlight the natural sweetness of the Fuyu Persimmons. Then James scooped single servings of the salad into small bowls that were then made available for students to select and pair with their other menu items as they came through the serving lines.

The Sweet Georgia Fuyu Persimmons are from the farm of Tom Wirht and Laura Potts-Wirht of Glennville. The Wirhts began growing persimmons in 2015, and their production has now expanded to 20 acres. In addition to selling the fresh fruit in the fall, the farm offers a variety of persimmon-based products made right in the farm's licensed kitchen and sold year round wholesale and online under their Georgia Farm Products business.

"The Fuyu persimmon is a wonderful fruit with a honey sweetness, and it's the national fruit of Japan," said Laura Potts-Wirht. "You can eat it like an apple, it does not have a core, doesn’t brown, and usually has no seeds.  It can be eaten as fresh fruit and also used in both sweet and savory dishes."

The Wirhts share that the Fuyu Persimmon's sweet flavor is different from the unripe, bitter aftertaste often associated with other persimmon varieties. This has made them a culinary favorite in many restaurants and homes. They are also low-calorie, high in dietary fiber, and packed with vitamins and antioxidants such as flavonoids.

Bulloch County's School Nutrition Services continue to partner with local farmers to help build a culinary culture in the school district's cafeterias. Also, with the growth and diversity of the school district's students, who represent 18 different nationalities and 24 different languages, some of our local produce items and how they are prepared are being introduced to children for the first time. Other farms whose products are served in Bulloch County Schools' cafeterias are Hunter Cattle Company beef, Franklin's Farm strawberries, citrus fruits, peaches and other seasonal produce, and Mack Family Farm Yukon Gold Potatoes. 

Partnering with local farms is more than just a nutritional initiative—it’s a learning opportunity, connecting students with the origins of their food and fostering an appreciation for healthy eating. Students see firsthand that their meals come from real, local farms and that healthy eating doesn’t mean sacrificing flavor. School cafeterias want to help children create lifelong healthy eating habits and offer them the chance to experience flavors that are both seasonal and beneficial. Please encourage your children to try the fresh, local produce items we offer.

Last year the school district purchased $18,252 in food items from local farms. Bulloch County Schools is also part of the Georgia Department of Education's Local Food for Schools pilot program, which helps school districts promote and procure local food.