GRANT, Ala. — Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey took time on Tuesday to eat with students at Kate Duncan Smith DAR School (KDS) in Marshall County for National Student Lunch week.
Students at KDS grow vegetables in a greenhouse on campus and picked some fresh produce for Gov. Ivey to try.
"Farm to food, farm to table, we're all eating the lettuce and I've got some lettuce I just saw growing," said Gov. Ivey. "They picked it yesterday and I'm going to eat some for lunch."
National Student Lunch week's theme in 2021 is "Wild About School Lunch," encouraging school cafeterias to get creative about the food they are serving.
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In Madison County, the CASA Community Garden grows and delivers food for the area’s most vulnerable population.
According to CASA Garden Services Coordinator Susan Lee, all the food grown goes onto the table of seniors in Madison County.
“We have lima beans. We have green beans. We have pink-eyed purple-holed peas. We have two types of okra planted. We’ve got squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers,” said Lee.
CASA of Madison County Services Coordinator Lauren Wilson Carter says the average CASA client live on approximately $14,000 a year.
“Many [clients] don’t drive,” said Lee. Even if they do have a way to get to the store, they can’t afford produce because it’s very expensive. We have a lot of clients who have health issues, high blood pressure and diabetes. These fresh vegetables, nutritious vegetables, they can use to supplement their diets and it also keeps them healthier.”
If you want to volunteer at the garden, stop by during their open hours to sign up. The garden is located at 4725 Bob Wallace Avenue in Huntsville, Alabama. Visit CASA of Madison County’s website to find the garden’s hours of operation.