November 14, 2025 — When Cobb students sit down for lunch, they’re often choosing from meals filled with fresh, locally grown, and produced foods.
That's one of the reasons the Georgia Farm to School Award was once again awarded to the Cobb Schools Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) team, including Executive Director Emily Hanlin and District Chef Rian McDonald.
The award celebrates its dedication to the state’s Farm to School standards, from featuring locally grown foods on cafeteria trays to cultivating school gardens and promoting Farm-to-School practices across the district.
Through their Harvest of the Month program, FNS promotes locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables, allowing students to try new items while also providing student favorites such as north Georgia apples. So far this school year, some of the Georgia-grown items offered include fresh peaches, gala apples, acorn squash, roasted root vegetables, and corn on the cob.
A practical example of how Cobb utilizes their local garden and food sources can be seen at Clarkdale Elementary, where just a few weeks ago, they held an event for first graders to make pizza with ingredients from their school's garden.
This award recognizes the hard work of the Food and Nutrition team within every school in Cobb.
This year, during National School Lunch Week, staff went above and beyond to make sure that students at every school had a fun opportunity to learn about different foods, while continuing to build strong relationships with students.
At Brumby Elementary, Linda Faniel spoke about her passion for the job and why it's so important that students are able to eat clean, healthy food.
Learn more about how the Cobb Schools Food and Nutrition Services team fuels student success by clicking this link.
