PHILADELPHIA.—To start December, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has announced more than $5 million in grants for 82 projects covering 42 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The grants support USDA's efforts to connect school cafeterias with local farmers and ranchers through its Farm to School Program.
The program helps schools buy more food from local farmers and ranchers in their communities, expanding access to healthy local food for school children and supporting local economies. The agency release a Farm to School Census earlier this year that showed school districts participating in farm to school programs bought and served more than $385 million in local food in school year 2011-2012, with more than half of the participating school planning to increase purchases.
In a media release announcing the grants, Vilsack says: "These inspiring collaborations provide students with healthy, fresh food, while supporting healthy local economies. Through farm to school projects, community partners are coming together to ensure a bright future for students, and for local farmers and ranchers."
Vilsack made the announcement at Common Market, a Philadelphia food hub connecting wholesale customers to farmers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. Common Market is receiving a grant to support their "An Apple a Day" program, The facility will act as a bridge between Pennsylvania Family Farms, a small Pennsylvania value-added processor, and public charter schools to provide food safety, product development, packaging, educational, marketing, planning, ordering and delivery support to farm and school food service partners.