It’s a “Pepper Palooza” During Farm to School Month in October


October is Farm to School Month, and schools and early care centers statewide are celebrating all things pepper-related through October. “Pepper Palooza” is a statewide celebration coordinated by Georgia Organics to get kids eating, growing, and participating in pepper-themed activities.

Register now to participate at your school, early care center, or in your community. Stay tuned to Georgia Organics’ monthly eBite newsletter and social media as the pepper-ific fun continues all the way to October—and beyond. You can also visit the lessons library from past Farm to School Month festivities with activity sheets, recipes, lessons, grow guides, fact sheets, and other resources.

Farm to school activities like planting seeds, taking care of plants, and observing their growth don’t rely on internet or device access and can be enjoyed with a minimum of materials. Nurturing vegetable plants to harvest teaches students a life skill of growing food, increases their likelihood of eating vegetables, and can strengthen the food sovereignty of their household and community. Best of all, these activities keep the mind and body engaged while stimulating the senses.

Some ideas for planning activities:

  • Review the activities and lesson plans included in the electronic resource toolkit provided to you via email. Do you want to prepare a new recipe? Plant the fruit or vegetable in different conditions and see how it grows best? Host a taste test? Grow and taste different varieties? The possibilities are endless.
  • Connect with cafeteria staff to discuss serving the selected food as part of a taste test or school meal in conjunction with your October Farm to School Month plans.

Share your “Pepper Palooza” pictures and activities on social media with #PepperPalooza. Each week during October, anyone who uses this hashtag will be entered to win a $25 gift card. At the end of the month, there will be a grand prize winner.

For more information on farm to school in Georgia, visit https://farmtoschool.georgiaorganics.org/pepperpalooza.