ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball and Howard County Public School System Superintendent (HCPSS) Bill Barnes today celebrated the establishment of an innovative healthy foods partnership between the County’s Roving Radish program and HCPSS. This new effort will reduce food insecurity by connecting more children and families in need with fresh, locally-sourced produce and ready-to-cook meals.
“Students learn better on a full stomach and parents can provide stronger support to their families when they don’t have to worry about how they’re going to put food on the table,” said Ball. “I want to thank Superintendent Barnes and his leadership team for collaborating with us to address hunger and healthy food access in our community.”
Through this partnership, HCPSS provides opportunities for students who attend one of eight ‘community schools’ to receive fresh local fruit, vegetables, meats and meal kits.
“Students cannot be expected to learn if they are hungry, so it is imperative that our students’ bodies and brains receive the healthy nutrients, vitamins, and sustenance they need not just to survive, but be able to thrive,” said HCPSS Superintendent Bill Barnes. “Our schools and classrooms are active spaces where students are moving, thinking, and participating throughout the day. To sustain this engagement, they must ingest healthy foods and be properly hydrated. I am grateful for the impactful partnership with County Executive Ball and his team, and the Roving Radish program to supplement the tremendous work being done by HCPSS food services staff.”
Established as part of the State’s Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, community schools serve as hubs of a community, connecting students, families and community members with local support services and resources to help them thrive. By addressing the whole child, community schools leverage partnerships that promote student achievement, positive learning conditions and student well-being through additional services, like academic and language supports, nutrition supports and behavioral and general health care that go beyond traditional classroom education. The eight-community schools selected to be supported through this partnership are:
- Cradlerock Elementary
- Deep Run Elementary
- Ducketts Lane Elementary
- Guilford Elementary
- Homewood Center
- Lake Elkhorn Middle
- Laurel Woods Elementary
- Stevens Forest Elementary
Founded in 2014 and managed by the County’s Office of Agriculture, the Roving Radish promotes healthy eating habits through its meal kits, marketplace and mobile marketplace by offering locally and regionally grown foods straight from farm-to-table.
The program’s Roving Radish Meal Kits feature two recipes and all of the ingredients necessary to make two delicious meals for a family of four. The Roving Radish Marketplace at the Long Reach Village Center offers fresh, local produce, meats and other goods from Howard County farms at affordable prices. In Fiscal Year 2024, the Marketplace distributed 28,000 pounds of food for free to those in need. Finally, as the newest addition to the Roving Radish family, the Roving Radish Mobile Marketplace food truck brings affordable, local farm-fresh food directly to Howard County neighborhoods with the greatest need. Since it launch in June 2024, the Mobile Marketplace has served more than 200 families and given away 6,400 pounds in free produce to residents in need.
“Connecting residents to real, healthy food is our mission,” said James Zoller, Administrator, Office of Agriculture. “Helping students and families access locally-sourced produce builds stronger communities while directly supporting Howard County farms.”
Since its launch, Roving Radish has prepared more than 75,270 meal kits, 38 percent of which were subsidized for qualifying customers, and served nearly 600 families at its marketplace, 63 percent of which were subsidized. With 25 participating local area farms, Roving Radish has also invested more than $800,000 back into our local farms.
To learn more about the Roving Radish, visit Roving Radish.
