Oregon Receives Thousands in Funding for Farm to School Projects

Find a full list of 2016 Farm to School Grant recipients

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced $4.8 million in grants for 74 farm to school projects across 39 states. 

The grants will serve more than 5,211 schools and 2.9 million students in 2016, according to the USDA. 

"Farm to school programs work—for schools, for producers, and for communities," said USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack in a news release. "By serving nutritious and locally grown foods, engaging students in hands-on lessons, and involving parents and community members, these programs provide children with a holistic experience that sets them up for a lifetime of healthy eating."

Oregon received three USDA grants totaling more than $220 thousand.

The Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council was awarded a $99,298 grant to implement a project with 20 schools in three rural school districts, and two schools in the tribal community of Warm Springs.

The project will provide training to school nutrition staff on recipe development and fresh local food preparation. The project will also work to improve staff and student experiences with the integration of classroom and outdoor nutrition education.

Oregon's South Lane School District was awarded a grant of $99,847 to implement a farm to school program for all its K-12 students. The district plans to procure more locally grown food for student menus, and introduce a 'harvest of the month' program to acquaint students with seasonally available produce.

The Willamette Farm and Food Coalition received a $22,853 grant from the USDA to help organize statewide farm to school events. The events will include training in local food procurement and educational programming, connecting local producers to school food buyers, and providing inspiration to farm to school and school garden practitioners throughout Oregon.

Click here for a full list of the 2016 Farm to School Grant recipients, and here to donate to the National Farm to School Network. 

Photo provided by the National Farm to School Network.