Rock County initiative focuses on healthy eating

Milton school hosts 3rd annual Many Movers Event

MILTON, Wis. — A national initiative to get kids to eat their vegetables is expanding in Rock County.

A valuable life lesson was taught during a competitive parachute game at Milton’s Consolidated Elementary School. This game and the nine total activity stations are a part of the third annual Many Movers Event.

Parents and siblings are encouraged to come to the school and get moving.

The schools’ physical education teacher, Kristin Gibson, said the goal is to show students the importance of physical activity.

“If they find enjoyment and success at a young age they will be more likely to take that with them as they get older, and find an activity they love and enjoy,” said Gibson.

This year students are also learning more about healthy eating thanks to the Farm to School Program, which is a national initiative to get locally grown produce into the schools.

“So instead of our vegetables coming from California or Florida, it’s coming from the Milton area just 11 miles away,” said Lisa Messer, a parent and registered dietitian who helped coordinate the vegetable tasting.

The day of exercise and healthy eating is all a part of a larger initiative in Rock County.

“It’s more about replacing food they’re already eating with healthy, fresh, locally grown food,” said Katie Schroeder, health educator for the Rock County Health Department.

Schroeder is also the project director for the Transform Rock County Program. She said the health department received a federal community transformation grant to create programs like this to help improve the overall health of Rock County.

“We’re in the bottom quarter of the county health rankings, obesity rates are very high, so we’re really trying to get every aspect of health incorporated, so we really want people to start eating better, exercising more really thinking about their health,” said Schroeder.

Consolidated Elementary is the smallest school in the Milton school district and is the first to participate in the Farm to School Program.

Organizers hope to expand it to other districts in Rock County starting next school year.

For more on the Farm to School Program click here.