The United States Department of Agriculture is releasing up to five million dollars in grants to help create or strengthen farm-to-school programs, reports FarmFutures.com.
The competitive grants are part of a federal initiative further to increase foods from local farms and ranches in America’s school meals.
Kevin Concannon is the USDA Under Secretary for Food Nutrition and Consumer Services. He calls the program a “win-win for America’s schools, farmers, producers, communities, and children.” Farm-to-school programs have been found to help kids form healthy eating habits. At the same time, they help support local and rural economies.
According to the USDA Farm to School Census, schools with farm-to-school programs saw reductions in food waste, higher school-meal participation rates, and an increased willingness of students to try new foods, especially fruits and vegetables.