MDA awards Farm to School grants to Crosslake, Upsala Schools

By Paul Vold kkinradio@embarqmail.com (6/22/21)

(St Paul, MN) — The Minnesota Department of Agriculture recently awarded funding to schools across Minnesota for two new grants to increase the amount of healthy local foods in school meals through its Farm to School programs.

In total, $294,907 were distributed for purchasing Minnesota-grown and -raised foods to be used in school meal programs. This grant funding will add another $239,007 for nearly $534,000 in total investment. 

The two grants, the First Bite Mini-Grant and Full Tray Grants, are made possible through the Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) program, which administers grants to farmers, agribusinesses, schools, and more throughout Minnesota.

The Crosslake Community School and Upsala Public Schools received $5,000 each from the First Bite Grant, which allows schools districts that have little to no experience with local procurement as part of a Farm to School program.

The grant recipients may receive technical assistance to successfully implement their farm to school procurement activities from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy thanks to funding from the USDA’s Specialty Crop Block Grant.