STRAWBERRY POINT -- "A" is for apple.

Teachers often associate letters with objects to teach children the alphabet. When 5-year-old William Haynes hears the word apple, something else comes to mind.

"I want to eat them. They're so good and juicy," the Starmont Elementary kindergartner said.

Apparently the rest of his classmates feel the same way, as they chowed down on sliced apples at lunch Friday. Many of the youngsters ignored their bologna sandwiches, crackers and soup, and stuffed their faces with the fruit first. Some even said candy bars would play second fiddle to apples.

That's music to Sue Burrack's ears. Starmont's food service coordinator said that means the district's healthy eating initiative is working, and the state's "A" is for Apple Initiative, part of the Farm to School Program, is a big part of it.

The program was started by the Iowa Legislature in 2007 to encourage schools to buy as much food from local farmers as possible. This year, Starmont received $100 in seed money to participate. The school is purchasing five bushels -- about 550 to 600 apples or about one for every student -- a week from Nading's Orchard in nearby Strawberry Point.

Students are raving about the apple program, Burrack said. Apples are being served for lunch, given away for snacks and as prizes for jobs well done.

"They love it," Burrack said. "Five years ago if we set out apples the kids didn't take them. Now they do."

That statement was proven true Friday when 11-year-old Brooke Kronebusch and seven other friends went through the lunch line. The sixth-graders could pick and choose what they wanted to eat, and each one sat down with an apple on their tray.

Part of the reason is a desire to eat healthy, the girls said, knowing apples are full of vitamins, minerals and no fat. The other is taste.

"The Nading's (apples) are awesome. The others (apples the district used to buy from a food wholesaler) just aren't as good," Kronebusch said.

That is the advantage of buying local, Burrack said. The district used to spend about $36 per bushel for apples from a food distributor and every now and then a box of apples would be bruised, brown and soft. She thinks the apples sustained shipping damage or were too old by the time they arrived at the school.

Nading apples only travel a few miles. Those consumed so far were either freshly picked or within weeks of being harvested. Burrack said not a bad one has been found.

Plus, owner Dave Nading only charges the school $20 per bushel. His 15-year-old son, Drew, delivers them for free when he comes to school.

"The trend is to buy fresh, buy local, and if we can get a quality product at a reasonable price … it's a win-win situation," Burrack said. "It's a joy for the district to make a community link."

For Nading, the state's apple program and the school's interest in buying part of his crop couldn't have come at a better time. His 700 trees produced the biggest crop in the 15 years of owning the orchard. Plentiful and timely rains along with a perfect pollination period in mid- to late May were the reasons, Nading said.

About 200 bushels of the 1,300 bushels picked this year are destined for Starmont students. Without the district's commitment, selling out would have been a challenge, he said. Apples are available at his downtown convenience store.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship contacted orchards about the apple program, and Nading called Starmont, which eagerly agreed to participate.

"I think it's a great program to get (kids) started on healthier foods," Nading said.

Seven school districts are participating in the apple program in the state, officials said. Starmont is the only one in Northeast Iowa.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey said it is only fitting to connect schools and farmers.

"Agriculture is so important to Iowa, this is a great way to showcase our farmers and also educate our young people about how food gets from the farm to their plate," he said in a press release.

Contact Matthew Wilde at (319) 291-1579 or matt.wilde@wcfcourier.com.