Michigan’s apple industry will donate nearly 346,000 fresh apples and 726,000 sliced apple packages to feed schoolchildren who are out of school because of the COVID-19 crisis. The Michigan Apple Committee worked with apple shipping, processing and sales organizations across the state, along with the Food Bank Council of Michigan, to coordinate delivery to school districts in Michigan.

“We know that with kids out of school during this crisis they will need good nutrition with plenty of fruits and vegetables to help them stay healthy,” says Diane Smith, executive director of MAC. “The Michigan apple industry is proud to provide Michigan apples for kids who need them during this difficult time.”

More than three truckloads of Michigan-grown apples will be distributed to school districts across the state, where food service workers continue to provide meals for children even though school is not in session. There are about 100,000 apples to a truckload.

“School closures due to COVID-19 have left nearly a million children without a consistent food source,” says Dr. Phil Knight, executive director, Food Bank Council of Michigan. “The generosity of the Michigan apple industry during this crisis brings healthy food and hope to our youngest residents.”

Children will receive fresh apples of several different varieties, and some will receive packaged sliced apples. The goal of the industry is to provide as many apples as possible to kids who otherwise may not have access to nutritious foods.

“Michigan apple growers, shippers and other industry members are always willing to step up and do their part to contribute to those in need,” Smith says. “It was just a matter of coordinating the logistics and working with our friends at the Food Bank Council to get this done. It’s important to all of us to be able to provide what we can to the people who need it.”

Michigan apple shippers and processors donating product include Applewood Fresh Growers of Sparta; BelleHarvest Sales Inc./Michigan Fresh Marketing of Belding and Comstock Park; Jack Brown Produce Inc. of Sparta; North Bay Produce Inc. of Traverse City; Peterson Farms of Shelby; Rasch Brothers Apple Storage of Grand Rapids; and Riveridge Produce Marketing Inc. of Sparta.

In addition, three trucking companies donated services to this effort, including SFL Companies of Rochester, which generously donated its services for free. Burns Produce LLC of Grandville and Destin Logistics LLC of Coopersville made partial trucking donations, with MAC covering the remainder of the costs.

“The Michigan Department of Education wants to thank the Michigan apple industry for this incredible donation to our state food banks,” says Diane Golzynski, director of the Michigan Department of Education’s Office of Health and Nutrition Services. “During times of crisis, the need to provide fresh, healthy food to our residents increases, and it is partners like our food banks and the Michigan apple industry that help to get it done.”

Michigan apple growers harvest about 25 million bushels of apples each year. There are more than 14.9 million apple trees in commercial production, covering 34,500 acres on 775 family-run farms in Michigan.

For information, visit michiganapples.com.

Source: Michigan Apple Committee, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.