Denair-area family’s donated almonds nourish children

An almond-growing family is donating nuts for children to snack on at several locations in and near Stanislaus County – along with kernels of knowledge about the industry.

Sperry Farms, longtime growers east of Denair, launched its Farm to Kids program last year. It donates a pound of almonds for each pound that supporters buy in mason jars and other specialty packaging.

The program helps nourish low-income children who might not eat enough wholesome foods, fifth-generation grower Sara Sperry says.

“I challenge them to think about how they eat,” she said. “I call it ‘sharing the health.’ ”

Sperry delivered a 200-pound donation to an after-school program at Agnes Baptist School in Modesto just before Christmas break.

The students learned that almond trees take their own winter break – a dormant period that helps them prepare for pollination in February. And they learned about how the crop is shaken to the ground in late summer and cleaned and sorted at Monte Vista Farming Co.

Farm to Kids also provided a gumball-like dispenser for the Agnes Baptist almonds. The campus is one of six in the Stanislaus Union School District taking part in the program.

Farm to Kids also has donated to the Riverbank Language Academy, Columbia School in Tuolumne County, and the Stanislaus and Sacramento branches of Court Appointed Special Advocates, which aids abused and neglected children.

Supporters can buy almonds online at www.farmtokids.org or visit the store at 344 S. Yosemite Ave., Oakdale. They can order plain, roasted or sliced almonds, as well as nuts ground into flour.

This story was originally published December 30, 2016 at 1:17 PM with the headline "Denair-area family’s donated almonds nourish children."