[ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan today announced that the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has recently awarded $4.22 million in grants through its Farm to School program. A total of 114 schools received funding this year, which they will use to purchase Minnesota-grown and -raised foods for use in school meals.

This record amount of Farm to School grant awards was made possible by Minnesota’s Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA Local Foods Schools Program and the MDA’s Farm to School grant programs seek to increase the amount of healthy, local foods served in school meals while expanding market opportunities for small businesses and socially disadvantaged farmers.

“These Farm to School grants support Minnesota’s local farmers and producers and provide students with healthy, local foods in their school meals,” said Governor Walz. “By providing grant funding to over 100 schools to purchase Minnesota-grown and -raised foods, we are strengthening our local communities and economy and working to ensure every student receives nutritious meals to promote their learning and growth at school.”

“By making it easier for schools to provide meals with fresh, locally-grown ingredients, we’re giving small and emerging farmers a boost while providing our students with healthy meals they need to succeed,” said Lieutenant Governor Flanagan. “I am proud of this program and thankful to our federal partners for helping expand this work to deliver for Minnesota’s farmers, students, and schools.”

“With support from the USDA’s Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement, our Farm to School program is reaching new heights in Minnesota,” said Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen. “The MDA is grateful to be able to provide this historic amount of grant funding to schools. When schools buy local, Minnesota’s farmers, communities, and economy all benefit, and our students enjoy the most fresh and nutritious foods that our state can offer.”

Recipient school districts were awarded one of two grants to purchase foods that were grown or raised in Minnesota:

    Farm to School First Bite Mini-Grant : For school districts new to local purchasing and looking to start small.

    Farm to School Full Tray Grant : For school districts with some Farm to School procurement experience and looking to take on larger projects.

These grant awards range in size from $2,500 to $150,000 and will support over $3.45 million in local food purchases by schools. Applicants were also able to apply for additional funding through the MDA’s Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) program to purchase equipment to support their Farm to School initiatives. Equipment awards totaled $769,714.

Implementation of the MDA’s Local for Schools Cooperative Agreement and the Farm to School grant programs is supported by the Cargill Foundation. Grant recipients may also receive technical assistance to successfully implement their farm to school procurement activities from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy thanks to funding from the USDA’s Specialty Crop Block Grant