April has been designated Fruit and Vegetable Month in Texas. To encourage young students to eat at least one fruit or vegetable at school each day during the month of April, the Texas Department of Agriculture's Square Meals education and outreach program created a contest for Texas K-2 schoolchildren.

At the beginning of April, students will be given a calendar on which they will place a "Crunch n' Munch" sticker for each day they eat a fruit or vegetable at breakfast or lunch. Students will also be encouraged to color the cartoons on the back of the calendar. Fifteen winning students will receive prizes based on creativity and the amount of fruits and vegetables they consume. Five Texas schools with the highest percentage of participating students will win a watermelon party to kick off the 2008-2009 school year.

Last legislative session, Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr., sponsored the bill creating Fruit and Vegetable Month. To read the press release announcing the approval of the bill, go to www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/members/dist27/pr07/p040407a.htm.