The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded $4.6 million in inaugural USDA Farm to School grants for 68 projects, spanning 37 states and the District of Columbia, to connect school cafeterias with local agricultural producers.
The grants, administered by USDA's Food and Nutrition Service, will serve more than 3,200 schools and 1.75 million students, nearly half of whom live in rural communities. The monies will help schools respond to the growing demand for locally sourced foods and increase market opportunities for producers and food businesses, including food processors, manufacturers, distributors. Grants also will be used to support agriculture and nutrition education efforts, such as school gardens, field trips to local farms and cooking classes.
"When schools buy food from nearby producers, their purchasing power helps create local jobs and economic benefits, particularly in rural agricultural communities," USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan said. "Evidence also suggests that when kids understand more about where food comes from and how it is produced, they are more likely to make healthy eating choices."
The Healthy Hunger‐Free Kids Act of 2010 authorized and funded USDA to establish a farm to school program in order to assist eligible entities, through grants and technical assistance, in implementing farm to school programs that improve access to local foods in eligible schools.
