Federal grant to fund C-Falls Farm to School program

Farm Hands - Nourish the Flathead, a nonprofit based in Whitefish that serves the Flathead Valley, has received a $61,742 Farm to School grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The money will help fund a Farm to School program for the Columbia Falls School District. Farm Hands Nourish is one of three organizations in Montana to receive the USDA funding.

The Wildcat Farm to School Program is a project of Farm Hands - Nourish the Flathead in partnership with the Columbia Falls School District. It has a three-tiered approach to comprehensive farm-to-school programming: agricultural education, an edible school garden classroom, and local procurement for Fresh Snack Fridays, according to Farm Hands Outreach Coordinator Andrea Getts.

All students in Columbia Falls School District 6 will benefit from the program, Getts said. This program will focus year-round agricultural education on one elementary grade level including cooking, gardening, and nutrition. It also will ensure the continuity of the Wildcat School Garden and its use for growing fresh food and as an outdoor classroom. In addition, the program will expand local procurement of fruits and vegetables for all students in Columbia Falls.

The USDA is investing $12 million in Farm to School Grants this year, the most projects funded since the program began in 2013. The department is also releasing new data demonstrating the recent growth of farm to school efforts nationwide. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of school districts and/or local entities responsible for school meals participated in farm to school activities during school year 2018-2019, more than half (57%) of which began within the past three years.

This year’s Farm to School Grants will help expand the access to fresh, local foods and hands-on agricultural learning for children across 45 states and the District of Columbia. The awarded projects will serve more than 1.4 million students at more than 6,800 schools.