WASHINGTON — Many students sell everything from giant cartons of popcorn, to magazines, to pizza kits to help raise money for their schools.

But now some schools across the nation — including schools in Alexandria and Arlington County in Virginia, and Montgomery County in Maryland — have teamed up with the organization FarmRaiser to bring fresh produce into the fundraising mix.

Mark Abbott started the Virginia-based company two and a half years ago, when he wasn’t happy with the choices his kids were bringing home for their school fundraisers, he said.

“I thought there must be a better alternative to all this junk food and cheap prizes,” Abbott said.

He said with FarmRaiser, “kids can sell a basket full of mixed vegetables and fruit that is locally grown.”

FarmRaiser also partners with local farmers and artisans to sell soaps, dark chocolate and honey. Abbott said schools keep 45 percent of every dollar raised, and students learn about the produce they are selling.

” A really important part of the program is arming the students with some information and fast facts about the foods they are selling so they can talk about that when they are selling,” he said.