October is National Farm to School Month. By incorporating local foods, farm to school programs help school meal programs fulfill the updated nutrition standards with appealing and diverse offerings. The recent 2015 USDA Farm to School Census shows farm to school programs now exist in every state in the nation and in every type of school district – large and small, rural and urban alike. The census found that strong farm to school programs can increase the number of students buying school meals, improve consumption of healthier foods at school, and reduce plate waste.
Equally important, millions of children are learning about where their food comes from and being exposed to lessons about healthy eating. USDA’s Farm to School Grant Program annually provides competitive grants up to $5 million for training, operational support, planning, purchasing equipment, developing school gardens, developing partnerships, and implementing farm to school programs. It is currently accepting applications for FY 2017 grants.
Source: USDA, 10/3/16, View Article...
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