Iowa joins New York and Pennsylvania in expanding programs to allow school districts to purchase items for school meals from local producers.  Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced that Iowa would provide grants of up to $2,000 to 137 schools and districts.  Naig stated, “These grants provide another way we can assist our schools with providing fresh and nutritious meals while also fortifying supply chains and building market demand for Iowa farmers.”

The USDA is providing $14.3 million in farm-to-school grant funding as a component of the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program.  A total of54 projects in 43 states, territories and DC will be supported benefiting 1.9 million children.