Students and Farmers Celebrate Apple Season at Wrigley Field

Chicago, IL – Teachers and students from around Chicagoland will celebrate the beginning of the school year and Illinois orchard season with fun and educational programming before the afternoon Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley Field Wednesday, September 18, as part of Education Day.

Students will hear from local orchard grower Vern Stade of Stade’s Farm and Market, to learn about how apples grow and Stade’s Farm and Market will provide local apples to all participants to crunch into, kicking off the Illinois Great Apple Crunch, a program of the Illinois Farm to School Network, which connects Illinois farms to schools to provide nutritious, local food to students.

Before the Cubs game, Cindy Long, Deputy Under Secretary for USDA Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services will throw out a ceremonial first pitch.

The Great Apple Crunch is an annual celebration of fresh, local apples on the second Thursday of October, during National Farm to School Month. This year it will take place on Thursday, October 10th. The Illinois Crunch is part of the Midwest Great Apple Crunch, celebrated by hundreds of thousands of students across Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Schools, early child care facilities, and other child education programs can participate by serving local apples on the lunch tray or in the classroom, and crunching into them together all at the same time. The Great Apple Crunch is managed by the Illinois Farm to School Network.

The Illinois Farm to School Network is a project of Seven Generations Ahead, an environmental nonprofit based in Oak Park, Illinois dedicated to building ecologically sustainable, equitable, and healthy communities throughout Chicagoland and beyond. The Illinois Farm to School Network includes teachers, early care providers, food service staff, farmers, students, and others who are working to support local, sustainable food systems and change food purchasing and education practices in their communities. The network provides training, connects partners, and shares resources about all aspects of farm to school, including local food sourcing, hands-on nutrition education, and school gardening.

K-5 schools and Cubs fans looking to attend the September 18 game can purchase tickets through the Special Ticket Offer at www.cubs.com/specials.