Wyden, Merkley Announce Farm-to-School Grants in Oregon
Funds go to Bend, Cottage Grove and Eugene
Washington, DC – Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced that projects in Bend, Cottage Grove and Eugene have earned federal farm-to-school grants totaling almost $225,000.
“From apples to zucchini, Oregon’s farm-to-school programs achieve two key goals: local farmers gain lifetime customers and youngsters grow up with the knowledge of fresh, healthy and tasty produce,” Wyden said. “These awards from the Agriculture Department re-affirm the hard work happening in our state to realize both of those essential goals.”
“Helping establish healthy eating habits in our children and supporting our local farms are just two of the benefits of Farm to School programs,” said Merkley. “These grants will help our local communities and highlight Oregon’s abundance of agricultural products.”
The three federal Agriculture Department grants in Oregon were as follows:
· Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council, Bend: $99,289 for technical support and professional development trainings to nutrition staff on recipe development and fresh local food preparation with three rural school districts (20 schools) and two schools in the tribal community of Warm Springs.
· South Lane School District 45j3, Cottage Grove: $99,620 to implement a farm-to-school program that serves all students in grades K-12. The district will procure more locally grown food for student breakfast and lunch menus and implement the “Harvest of the Month” program to introduce seasonally available produce to students.
· Willamette Farm and Food Coalition, Eugene: $22,853 to convene the Oregon Farm-to-School and School Garden Summits for a statewide audience that will include training in local food procurement and educational programming.
For more information, visit www.fns.usda.gov.
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