46 Minnesota schools get grants for locally sourced food
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (FOX 9) - More than 40 Minnesota schools have been awarded grants for healthy, local foods in schools as part of the state's Farm to School programs.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture on Thursday announced $741,619 in grants to 46 schools across the state, which will allow them to buy Minnesota-grown and -raised foods for their school meal programs.
The MDA says these grants will leverage an additional $624,619 in purchases of Minnesota-grown foods, totaling an investment of nearly $1.36 million.
"We’ve expanded our investment in new markets that directly benefit both farmers and children through our Farm to School programs," MDA Assistant Commissioner Patrice Bailey said in a statement. "That means more schools participating for the first time, and longtime participants expanding their offering of healthy, nutritious, local foods for students."
Twenty-six schools received "first bite mini-grants," which are intended for school districts that have "little to no experience with local procurement" via a Farm to School program. Twenty schools received "full tray grants," which are intended for schools that have "some Farm to School procurement experience."
The "first bite" recipients are:
- Alden Conger Public School - $3,000
- Butterfield-Odin School District - $5,000
- Caledonia Area Public Schools - $5,000
- Cannon Falls Area Schools - $5,000
- Delano Public Schools - $5,000
- DeLaSalle High School - $5,000 plus a $4,347 equipment award
- First Lutheran School - $5,000
- Glacial Hills Elementary - $5,000
- Glenville-Emmons Public Schools - $2,500
- Hennepin Schools - $5,000 plus an $800 equipment award
- Holy Trinity Catholic School - $5,000 plus a $9,926 equipment award
- MN State Academies - $5,000 plus a $1,727.50 equipment award
- New Millennium Academy - $5,000
- Northwestern Minnesota Juvenile Center - $2,500
- NRHEG Public Schools - $5,000
- Pine City Public Schools - $4,000 plus a $13,048.18 equipment grant
- Plymouth Christian Youth Center - $5,000 plus a $1,330 equipment grant
- Russell Tyler Ruthron Public Schools - $5,000 plus a $13,188.24 equipment grant
- Sacred Heart School - $2,500
- St. Bernard's Catholic School - $5,000
- St. Croix Prep Academy - $5,000 plus a $1,250 equipment grant
- St. Peter's Catholic School - $2,500
- The Journey School - $5,000 plus a $10,775.20 equipment grant
- Wabasha-Kellogg Public School - $5,000
- White Bear Lake Area Schools - $5,000
- Windom Area Schools - $5,000
The "full tray" grant recipients are:
- Becker Public Schools - $5,000 plus a $9,344.58 equipment grant
- Columbia Heights Public Schools - $12,524.90 plus a $25,000 equipment grant
- Dassel-Cokato Independent Schools - $35,000 plus a $13,219 equipment grant
- Dilworth Glyndon Felton Public Schools - $6,250
- Foley Public Schools - $20,357.50 plus a $25,000 equipment grant
- Fond du Lac Reservation - $4,470 plus a $10,970 equipment grant
- Holdingford Public Schools - $10,510.50
- Hutchinson Public Schools - $35,000 plus a $25,000 equipment grant
- Immanuel Lutheran School - $2,500
- Lake City Public Schools - $10,483
- Litchfield Independent Schools - $28,733 plus a $25,000 equipment grant
- Mesabi East Schools - $14,075.75 plus a $17,964.36 equipment grant
- New Prague Area Schools - $7,250 plus a $19,500 equipment grant
- New Ulm area Catholic Schools - $3,000 plus a $1,630 equipment grant
- Northfield Public Schools - $5,000
- Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools - $27,000 plus a $14,500 equipment grant
- Riverway Learning Community - $2,566.26 plus a $162.40 equipment grant
- Robbinsdale Area Schools - $35,000 plus a $25,000 equipment grant
- Roseville Area Schools - $35,000 plus a $25,000 equipment grant
- St. Anthony-New Brighton Area Schools - $15,716.11 plus a $22,500 equipment grant