By Alan Van Ormer
Tribune editor

Each month the students in the Dell Rapids School District will be able to eat a new fresh produce item.
In October it is an apple. Next month it will be Winter squash.
“We’re trying to promote more locally-owned produce and are trying to get the kids to eat healthier and provide different options,” said Rita Kelley, Kitchen Manager at the middle school and high school. “The kids are seeming to enjoy the apples.”
Kelley is employed by Lunchtime Solutions, headquartered in North Sioux City, who handles the lunch program for the school district and is spearheading the fruit-a-month program. For Thursday’s lunch, the kitchen staff cut up three bushels of apples for the students. Kelley said most of the students do eat the fruit.
Lunchtime Solutions purchased the apples from Hebda Farms near Mission Hill, S. D. for 12 area school districts including Dell Rapids and Flandreau. Students are allowed unlimited servings of fresh fruits and vegetables to go along with their lunch.
Two eighth grade students – Tanner Solberg and Michael Mitchell – enjoy eating apples because of their taste.
“I like the fruit trays because they have a lot of healthy items,” Solberg said. “I love fruit. I think it is really important because I like sports and if I’m not healthy, it is hard to participate.”
Mitchell said he eats apples daily for the sake of being healthy. “I think helping with the local economy is important,” he said. “I think it is important to keep the money in the area.”
At the elementary school, fourth grader Kyle Steineke grabbed a bunch of sliced apples. “I think it is a good idea to eat apples because it makes you healthy and keeps your weight down,” said Steineke, who tries to eat two to three apples a week.