HINTON, Iowa (KTIV) – Iowa’s secretary of agriculture announced Thursday, May 29, 33 schools and school districts statewide have received grants to participate in a school food program. Several of these schools are in the Siouxland area.
These school districts were chosen to receive grants to participate in the Choose Iowa Food Purchasing Grants for Schools program, encouraging students to enjoy fresh food from local farms and small businesses.
The following schools were chosen from the Siouxland area.
- OABCIG Community School District
- Hinton Community School District
- Missouri Valley Community School District
- Sheldon Community School District
- West Sioux Community School District
- Westwood Community School District
A full list of other schools that are included in the program is available on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship website.
According to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, this is described as a pilot program created during the 2024 legislative session.
“Selected schools are required to provide a minimum one-to-one financial match,” the department said. “For example, a school receiving $1,000 must provide at least $1,000 from other sources for a total of $2,000 spent on local foods through the pilot program.”
It is also an initiative of Choose Iowa, a statewide branding and marketing program that promotes food, beverages that are Iowa-grown.
Choose Iowa received applications from 61 schools or school districts, which totaled $158,249.
The school program has a total budget of $70,000, and each school district, whether private or public, was eligible to apply for $1,000 per school building.
Mike Naig, the Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, says the program is another way to connect farmers and small businesses to Iowa schools, providing fresh, local, and nutritious food to students.
“This one-year pilot program saw strong demand from interested schools that far exceeded the available program budget,” said Secretary Naig. “As Choose Iowa continues to expand, we will work to open even more opportunities to connect local producers and school food programs. Choose Iowa’s membership is growing quickly and is already demonstrating how it can be a powerful tool for strengthening and growing our rural communities.”
Eligible products include meat, poultry, dairy products (other than milk), eggs, honey and produce, according to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.
Additional information is available on the Choose Iowa website.
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