Four local school districts have been selected to receive grants from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) to incorporate locally sourced foods into their breakfast and lunch programs. The Ar-We-Va, Audubon, Carroll, and South Central Calhoun Community School Districts will each get $2,000 to purchase meat, eggs, produce, and dairy from area farms. The Local Food for Schools program was launched in 2022 and has awarded over $1.7 million to Iowa schools in its first two years. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says, “With another school year off and running, I’m excited to see more connections being made between school lunch programs and local farmers. These grants provide yet another way that we can assist our schools with providing fresh and nutritious meals while also fortifying supply chains and building market demand for Iowa farmers.” A complete list of recipients for the final year of the LFS program is included below.
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