LEE, Maine (AP) - Several Maine organizations are slated to receive grants as part of a federal “Farm to School” program intended to connect students with food programs.
The money is part of more than $12 million the U.S. Department of Agriculture is awarding around the country. The grants “will connect kids with where their food comes from, nourish the local economy and support American agriculture,” the USDA said.
The largest of Maine’s grants is a $100,000 award to Cumberland County Food Security Council of Yarmouth. The council is working on a project called “Local Food Fuels Learning” that gets students involved in agriculture education, menu development, taste tests and other facets of the food system.
That project is also expected to increase local procurement in Portland Public Schools by 5%, USDA said.
The Gulf of Maine Research Institute is scheduled to get a grant of more than $97,000 to increase the amount of local seafood served in schools in New England.
Maine School Administrative District 30 in Lee is the lead applicant on a joint planning grant for three districts in rural Maine. That grant is for more than $48,000, focusing on local food and vegetable procurement.
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