When Ruth Neil comes to class, students perk up.

What students have come to realize is the food she brings is good for them, and the things she teaches are helpful.

“We learn a lot of stuff,” said David Guevara, a third-grader in Christy Halsey’s class at Sumner Elementary School.

Neil, a nutrition education assistant with the University of Minnesota’s extension program in Mower County, is about to wrap up her first year teaching the Go Wild with Fruits and Veggies class to elementary students at Sumner and after school at Neveln Elementary School.

“What do you think about this food?” Neil asked the class.

“It was a strong taste,” one student said, while another yelled “It is so good!”

This isn’t the first year Neil’s taught a Go Wild class, which is a new, U of MN-developed program. She piloted the program at Lyle Elementary School before expanding to Austin Public Schools, specifically third grade classes at Sumner and a mix of students at Neveln.

“Ruth has really been awesome for our building and our program,” said Bonnie Erichson, Neveln’s after school coordinator.

The classes involve a different color theme every week, including a different animal. Through reading educational stories, students get excited about trying the new foods, and learn more from describing what they taste and what the food looks and smells like.

“We make it fun,” Neil said. “You want the (food) to be a fun experience because you remember that, that you had fun eating a parsnip. It makes you more likely to eat it.”

There are many new foods students are exposed to, not only vegetables like parsnips but things like dates, cauliflower and cherry tomatoes. In fact, during one of Neil’s classes many students told her they had never eaten cherry tomatoes.

“I thought that was real interesting,” Neil said. “I know the cafeteria staff has enjoyed having me here.”

Neil is usually at the cafeteria on Tuesdays, where she rewards students for eating the fruit or vegetable of the week with stickers and positive encouragement. It appears to be working, as students seem more interested in more foods.

“(The class) tells us what’s healthy,” said Hailey Schwering, a third grader at Sumner. “You get to try new things and we’ve learned more things.”

It’s important to learn good eating habits at a young age, according to Neil, so kids can learn to make healthier choices throughout their lives.

“We get to taste stuff … it’s healthy,” said Mael Amenjagi, a third-grader at Sumner. “So you don’t get fat.”

While there are no definite plans to expand the Go Wild program thus far, Neil is open to providing classes at other elementary schools not only in Austin but across Mower County. Nothing is set up yet, but Neil will contact schools during the summer to see if other schools would be interested. Sumner students are definitely interested in keeping the program, however.

“The students are excited about it,” Halsey said. “It’s given them an opportunity to try new things and to make them aware of what they’re eating.”