Press Releases

Funds will help Maine schools overcome barriers to purchasing food locally

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced today that Healthy Communities of the Capital Area in Kennebec County will receive a $100,000 Farm to School grant from the USDA.

“Maine schools today want to buy more food locally, but there aren’t many systems in place to help them do it easily. This investment will help fund innovative efforts to help schools overcome those barriers,” said Pingree. “Maine schools have shown such an incredible commitment to supporting local farmers and connecting students with the food they eat—and the results have been strengthened economies and healthier school meals. I’m excited that Healthy Communities of the Capital Area has this opportunity to help strengthen and expand those impacts.”

The K-12 Eating Local Foods project aims to develop systems to better link local farms to schools. The two-year project will streamline ordering, delivery, and processing through links to existing online local food buying clubs. The project will also develop a local purchasing guide that includes contacts, product availability, sample contracts, and food safety protocol. Healthy Communities of the Capital Area is a Healthy Maine Partnership.

Attached is a copy of the letter Pingree wrote to support the grant application.

In a recent survey by the USDA, 85 percent of Maine schools said they participate in Farm to School efforts, which included buying locally, serving food from school gardens, and bringing farmers into the classroom. The participation rate is one of the highest in the nation. The results are at http://www.fns.usda.gov/farmtoschool/census#/state/me.

Pingree’s package of reforms to the Farm Bill—the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act—includes a provision to help schools purchase more food locally by allowing them to use a portion of their commodity funding to do so.