COCHRAN, Ga. — Bleckley County Schools are making lunchtime a little fresher thanks to partnerships with local farms and careful planning by the district’s nutrition team.

With an annual budget of $2.6 million, the district starts ordering food well before the first day of school to ensure students have access to fresh fruits and vegetables.

“We have trucks coming in constantly,” Nutrition Director Kelli Green said. “We have to think ahead, plan ahead, and so we do our orders and we forecast for the school year. What we’ll be buying, the amounts we need, and we try to stay trendy with those menus and those menu items.”

One of the district’s longest-running partnerships is with Greene Acres Farm in Dodge County . When strawberries and blackberries are in season, the Greene family

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