Four more school districts– including the Leola school in north central South Dakota– have received Farm to School grants from the state Department of Education’s Division of Child and Adult Nutrition Services (CANS).
These allocations bring the number of Farm to School grantees in South Dakota to 10, sharing a total of nearly $100,000 ($99,487).
Schools receiving the newly awarded Farm to School grants are the:
- Leola School District— awarded $13,956.26 to install raised garden beds and provide garden and agriculture education to students; the
- Huron School District– was awarded $15,000 to purchase a vegetable washer; the
- Sioux Falls School District– was awarded $10,390 to purchase two hydroponic units; and the
- Viborg-Hurley School District– was awarded $10,290 to purchase two hydroponic units.
South Dakota CANS Director Alan Haarstad, says food is an essential aspect of everyone’s lives, and this program opens doors to unique educational opportunities and collaboration that will leave a lasting impact. He says the Farm to School program fosters community-wide partnerships between schools, local food producers, families, and organizations to provide an understanding of the importance of nutrition education and procurement.
When fulfilling one or more of the three core elements of the Farm to School grants, programs express their creativity and innovation through:
- the field trips they plan to see food production in action,
- the equipment they purchase to educate individuals on how to safely produce and prepare food, and
- the empowering experiences they gain through maintaining a garden.
The Department of Education encourages local producers to connect with schools and organizations with a Farm to School program. For more information or to see the full list of grant recipients, visit https://doe.sd.gov/farmtoschool/.
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