CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is working to make healthy food accessible to its students and their families with its first-ever Family Nutrition Night.

Dozens of families spent Thursday evening at Merry Oaks International Academy. The event included a chef-led healthy snack lesson and tips from a pediatric nutritionist.

Principal Danah Telfaire says this is the culmination of a years-long effort, as the school has had a farming program for years.

“This is not just a school farm. It’s a parent and community farm,” Telfaire said.

Families also had the chance to shop at a pop-up farmers market with free, fresh produce provided by The Bulb.

“Higher prices come with local food, and we understand exactly why that is,” Jayna Welch, a mobile market coordinator with The Bulb, said. “But that doesn’t mean that other people that can’t afford those shouldn’t also have that same access.”

That access is especially important in Mecklenburg County, where the latest data says 12% of households are food insecure.

It’s an even bigger problem statewide, with 1.6 million North Carolinians living in “food deserts,” according to the USDA.

“When you have access, you have the opportunity,” Telfaire said. “Providing access they get to taste and really, really get an idea of the different types of foods that are grown in different areas and how foods can really inform how you live.”

CMS plans to have another event in the spring. By then, families will be able to cook with the food grown in the Merry Oaks garden.

Contact Julie Kay at [email protected] and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.

For the latest breaking news, weather and traffic alerts that impact you from WCNC Charlotte, download the WCNC Charlotte mobile app and enable push notifications.