HINTON, Iowa — Mike Naig, secretary of agriculture, announced on May 29th that 33 schools and school districts received grants to participate in the Choose Iowa Food Purchasing Grants for Schools program. The program encourages students to enjoy fresh food from local farms and small businesses.
OABCIG, Hinton, Missouri Valley, Sheldon, West Sioux, and Westwood Community School Districts were among the 33 chosen.
“Selected schools are required to provide a minimum one-to-one financial match,” the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship said. “For example, a school receiving $1,000 must provide at least $1,000 from other sources for a total of $2,000 spent on local foods through the pilot program.”
It is also an initiative of Choose Iowa, a statewide branding and marketing program that promotes food, beverages that are Iowa-grown.
Naig says the program is another way to connect farmers and small businesses to Iowa schools, providing fresh, local, and nutritious food to students.
“As Choose Iowa continues to expand, we will work to open even more opportunities to connect local producers and school food programs. Choose Iowa’s membership is growing quickly and is already demonstrating how it can be a powerful tool for strengthening and growing our rural communities.”
Eligible products include meat, poultry, dairy products (other than milk), eggs, honey and produce, according to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.
Additional information is available on the Choose Iowa website.
