April 7, 2022

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) recently awarded funding to schools across Minnesota for two new grants to increase the amount of healthy local foods in school meals through its Farm to School programs.

Forty-six school districts across Minnesota received a total of $741,619 for purchasing Minnesota-grown and -raised foods to be used in school meal programs. This grant funding will leverage an additional $624,619 in purchases of Minnesota grown- and raised-foods, for nearly $1,366,239 in total investment.

“We’ve expanded our investment in new markets that directly benefit both farmers and children through our Farm to School programs,” MDA Assistant Commissioner Patrice Bailey said. “That means more schools participating for the first time, and longtime participants expanding their offering of healthy, nutritious, local foods for students.”

Recipient school districts were awarded one of two grants:

  • Farm to School First Bite Mini-Grant: Grants are intended for school districts that have little to no experience with local procurement as part of a Farm to School programming.
  • Farm to School Full Tray Grant: Grants are intended for school districts that have some Farm to School procurement experience.
  • Applicants were also able to apply for additional funds to purchase equipment to support Farm to School initiatives.

Funding for this program is made available through the Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) program, which administers grants to farmers, agribusinesses, schools, and more throughout the state of Minnesota. The AGRI Program exists to advance Minnesota’s agricultural and renewable energy sectors.

The grant recipients may 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.

Farm to School Grant Recipients

First Bite

School/School District

County

First Bite Award

Equipment Award

Total Award

Alden Conger Public School

Freeborn

$3,000.00

-

$3,000.00

Butterfield-Odin School District

Watonwan

$5,000.00

-

$5,000.00

Caledonia Area Public Schools

Houston

$5,000.00

-

$5,000.00

Cannon Falls Area Schools

Goodhue

$5,000.00

-

$5,000.00

Delano Public Schools

Wright

$5,000.00

-

$5,000.00

DeLaSalle High School

Hennepin

$5,000.00

$4,347.00

$9,347.00

First Lutheran School

McLeod

$5,000.00

-

$5,000.00

Glacial Hills Elementary

Pope

$5,000.00

-

$5,000.00

Glenville-Emmons Public Schools

Freeborn

$2,500.00

-

$2,500.00

Hennepin Schools

Hennepin

$5,000.00

$800.00

$5,800.00

Holy Trinity Catholic School

Dakota

$5,000.00

$9,926.00

$14,926.00

MN State Academies

Rice

$5,000.00

$1,727.50

$6,727.50

New Millennium Academy

Hennepin

$5,000.00

-

$5,000.00

Northwestern Minnesota Juvenile Center

Beltrami

$2,500.00

-

$2,500.00

NRHEG Public Schools

Waseca

$5,000.00

-

$5,000.00

Pine City Public Schools

Pine

$4,000.00

$13,048.18

$17,048.18

Plymouth Christian Youth Center

Hennepin

$5,000.00

$1,330.00

$6,330.00

Russell Tyler Ruthton (RTR) Public Schools

Lincoln

$5,000.00

$13,188.24

$18,188.24

Sacred Heart School

Stearns

$2,500.00

-

$2,500.00

St. Bernard's Catholic School

Pennington

$5,000.00

-

$5,000.00

St. Croix Prep Academy

Washington

$5,000.00

$1,250.00

$6,250.00

St. Peter's Catholic School

Yellow Medicine

$2,500.00

-

$2,500.00

The Journey School

Ramsey

$5,000.00

$10,775.20

$15,775.20

Wabasha-Kellogg Public School

Wabasha

$5,000.00

-

$5,000.00

White Bear Lake Area Schools

Ramsey

$5,000.00

-

$5,000.00

Windom Area Schools

Cottonwood

$5,000.00

-

$5,000.00

Full Tray

School/School District

County

Full Tray Award

Equipment Award

Total Award

Becker Public Schools

Sherburne

$5,000.00

$9,344.58

$14,344.58

Columbia Heights Public Schools

Anoka

$12,524.90

$25,000.00

$37,524.90

Dassel-Cokato Independent Schools

Wright

$35,000.00

$13,219.00

$48,219.00

Dilworth Glyndon Felton Public Schools

Clay

$6,250.00

-

$6,250.00

Foley Public Schools

Benton

$20,357.50

$25,000.00

$45,357.50

Fond du Lac Reservation

Carlton

$4,470.00

$10,970.00

$15,440.00

Holdingford Public Schools

Stearns

$10,510.50

-

$10,510.50

Hutchinson Public Schools

McLeod

$35,000.00

$25,000.00

$60,000.00

Immanuel Lutheran School

Sibley

$2,500.00

-

$2,500.00

Lake City Public Schools

Goodhue/Wabasha

$10,483.00

-

$10,483.00

Litchfield Independent Schools

Meeker

$28,733.00

$25,000.00

$53,733.00

Mesabi East Schools

St. Louis

$14,075.75

$17,964.36

$32,040.11

New Prague Area Schools

Le Sueur/Scott

$7,250.00

$19,500.00

$26,750.00

New Ulm Area Catholic Schools

Brown

$3,000.00

$1,630.00

$4,630.00

Northfield Public Schools

Rice

$5,000.00

-

$5,000.00

Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools

Scott

$27,000.00

$14,500.00

$41,500.00

Riverway Learning Community

Winona

$2,566.26

$162.40

$2,728.66

Robbinsdale Area Schools

Hennepin

$35,000.00

$18,000.00

$53,000.00

Roseville Area Schools

Ramsey

$35,000.00

$25,000.00

$60,000.00

St. Anthony-New Brighton Area Schools

Ramsey

$15,716.11

$22,500.00

$38,216.11

 

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Media Contact
Larry Schumacher, MDA Communications
651-201-6629
Larry.Schumacher@state.mn.us