Anoka Times

For the rest of the year, students who attend Columbia Heights Public Schools (CHPS) will be eating a little more healthy thanks to a rapid response farm-to-school grant from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture for almost $5,000.

With that extra money, the district will buy local produce from The Good Acre in Falcon Heights through the end of the year.

Food Services Manager Maggie Maggio wrote the following when she applied for the grant, according to ABC Newspapers.

“Columbia Heights Public Schools aspires to diversify and expand purchasing from Minnesota producers during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Maggio wrote in the proposal, according to the newspaper. “(We’d like to) incorporate fresh, local and seasonal produce into our feeding programs, in whatever form they take. CHPS will consider a wide range of Minnesota food fruits and vegetables for procurement. It is our goal to introduce a host of new flavors and ingredients to children as well as show them how delicious, nutrient-dense, more flavorful and eco-friendly local produce can be.”

According to the newspaper, The Good Acre receives products from more than 20 different farms located in Minnesota.

“We are very excited to receive this funding from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture,” Maggio said in a statement. “Offering a variety of foods has been a challenge during the pandemic, but this funding will allow us to not only have more variety, but also share fresh, flavorful and local fruits and vegetables while supporting Minnesota farmers.”