Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
Tim Post
St. Paul, Minn.

State boosts farm-to-school effort with $250K

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is giving 15 school districts around the state $250,000 in grants to add new cafeteria equipment as part of the Farm to School effort, which works to put more locally produced products in school kitchens.

The program is run in cooperation with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, and expects to hand out about $500,000 in grants next year.

Minnesota's agriculture commissioner, Dave Frederickson, says the districts will use the money to buy equipment, like juicers and slicers, to prepare fresh fruits and vegetables for students.

"It's just a good opportunity for us to assist local districts to stretch their limited resources as much as possible," he said.

Some districts will also use the grants to fund studies on how best to get local products into school cafeterias.