Schools in Kansas spent nearly $2 million on local food during the 2013-14 school year. Harvest Public Media’s KristoforHusted reports the U.S. Department of Agriculture is trying to make sure small farmers are getting their slice.
The USDA’s Kevin Concannon says historically, the agency has been focused on commodities like corn and soybeans. But increasingly it’s putting millions in grants toward school programs that buy fruits and vegetables the kinds you’d see at small farmers markets.
"Those farmers that typically come into farmers markets are the very same smaller growers who are providing products to schools," Concannon says. "So we’re trying to support them in several ways."
The Agriculture Department predicts growth in local food spending to increase as more schools establish grant-funded farm to school programs.