Fall is arriving faster than we can say “back to school.” With summer vacations now behind us, children everywhere are returning to the routine of reading, writing, and arithmetic, while we adults are getting reacquainted with our regular work schedules. Fall also means America’s favorite fruit is ready to come off the tree – the apple harvest season has arrived!

Ensuring kids have a healthful, energizing lunch in that brand new N Sync lunchbox is just as important as making sure that Johnny and Janie’s homework is done. Apples, in their many versatile forms, are a natural fit for kids’ lunches. In fact, apples are a natural for every member of the family, at lunchtime or any time of day – after all, we Moms and Dads need apples’ great taste and energy, too! And new research suggests that an “apple a day” really may keep the doctor away.

Grocery stores and farmers’ markets nationwide will soon have a wide selection of 2001-crop U.S. apples available to satisfy every child’s – or adult’s – particular palate this season. Now is an excellent time to encourage the whole family to try new varieties and to explore ways to incorporate healthy apples into meals and after-school snacks for the whole family. The enclosed kit provides:

• News and information on this year’s apple bounty
• Notes from the principal on preparing kids, as well as parents, for the new school year
• Notes from the school nurse on how apples can benefit your families’ health
• Notes from the school dietitian on ways to incorporate apples and apple products into your day and information on U.S. Apple Association’s new apple health brochure
• Notes from the lunchroom, on how apples can creatively fit into menus at school and home, featuring recipes from Olwen Woodier’s new Apple Cookbook

We hope you’ll see why suggesting your audience add apples to their daily diets can be beneficial throughout the year. If we can provide further information or answer any questions, please contact me at (703) 442-8850 or Sun Dee Mills at (816) 474-9407, ext. 326. We also encourage you to visit our apple Web site at www.usapple.org.

Have a H-apple-y Autumn!

Sincerely,

Julia Stewart Daly
Public Relations Director

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