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(08/12/21) BATON ROUGE, La. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing in Louisiana farm to school programs.
Three recipients were selected from Louisiana to receive grants: Louisiana Big River Economic and Agricultural Development Alliance, IDEA Public Schools Louisiana and the Louisiana Department of Education. This year’s USDA farm to school grants, totaling nearly $300,000, will help expand access to fresh, local foods and hands-on agricultural learning for children.
The Louisiana Department of Education, in collaboration with the LSU AgCenter, will continue to support the Louisiana Farm to School Program. With this new grant, the Farm to School Program team will be stepping into a new era of growth, rebranding the organization to Seeds to Success: The Louisiana Farm to School Program. Seeds to Success will act as an umbrella for all the farm to school programs offered, ensuring these efforts continue growing to meet the needs of Louisiana students and teachers.
In addition, the program will use the grant to hold regional producer training events, establish and expand program outreach through a network of Louisiana Farm to School ambassadors, and expand the Seeds to Success website, seedstosuccess.com, to include all Louisiana farm to school-related resources and materials.
“We are thrilled to be able to continue our work to bring more locally grown foods into Louisiana school cafeterias, classrooms and communities,” said Carl Motsenbocker, AgCenter horticulture professor and executive director of the Louisiana Farm to School Program. “With our Farm to School ambassadors, we can expand our program and efforts around the state, and training farmers in how to engage in farm to school is essential to bringing local food into schools.”
For more information, contact louisianafarmtoschool@agcenter.lsu.edu or visit www.LSUAgCenter.com/LouisianaFarmtoSchool.
With a new USDA grant, the Farm to School Program team will be stepping into a new era of growth, rebranding the organization to Seeds to Success: The Louisiana Farm to School Program.
