Iowa Schools Gear Up for Great Apple Crunch with Support from Food Hub Network
September 24, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Iowa Schools Gear Up for Great Apple Crunch with Support from Food Hub Network
Schools, early care centers, and community organizations across Iowa are preparing to take part in the Great Apple Crunch on Wednesday, October 8, 2025—an annual celebration of healthy eating and local food held each October during National Farm to School Month.
Participation continues to grow each year. In 2024, more than 109 sites and 82,000 Iowans joined the Crunch, sourcing apples from over 30 orchards, food hubs, and family farms. This year, schools and organizations from every corner of the state are registered to join the fun. To register and to see a map of participating sites, visit iowafarmtoschoolearlycare.org/great-apple-crunch.
In addition to statewide efforts, eight schools and centers will be celebrating with apples from the Great Apple Giveaway, sponsored by the Iowa Food System Coalition (IFSC) and Iowa’s statewide network of food hubs. The giveaway was planned through a collaboration between IFSC’s Procurement Team and the Iowa Farm to School and Early Care Coalition.
Apple Giveaway winners, announced at the recent Farm to School Buyer-Supplier Meetup, include:
Drake Head Start (Des Moines) – 3 cases
Williamsburg CSD – 6 cases
Collins-Maxwell CSD – 4 cases
Riceville CSD – 4 cases
Shelby County Catholic – 1 case
Stratford Community Schools – 1 case
Osage CSD – 4 cases
GMG CSD – 2 cases
“We’re excited to see so many schools and organizations participating in the Great Apple Crunch, and we’re proud to use Iowa’s food hub network to make these deliveries happen,” said Chris Schwartz, Executive Director of the Iowa Food System Coalition. “This is what it looks like when we connect farms, hubs, and schools to build healthier communities.”
The Iowa Food System Coalition sponsored the apple giveaway as part of this statewide celebration, highlighting the power of Iowa’s food hub network to strengthen connections between local farms and the institutions that feed our kids.
The Great Apple Crunch is a project of the Iowa Farm to School and Early Care Coalition. Iowa joins other Midwest states in celebrating National Farm to School Month by crunching into locally grown apples together this October.
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About the Iowa Food System Coalition
The Iowa Food System Coalition (IFSC) is a community of over 50 organizational partners and 600 individuals with professional and lived expertise, united to advance a thriving, sustainable, and equitable food system in Iowa. Through Setting the Table for All Iowans, our strategic roadmap, IFSC is leading efforts to increase local food consumption, build resilient rural communities, create economic opportunities, and improve the health of Iowans.
For more information or to arrange interviews with IFSC and its partners, please visit our News Room.
