By AMY A. WOZNIAK
For the Clarion News
North Clarion is one of four entities in Pennsylvania to receive this grant funding and received the largest amount of money awarded in the commonwealth.
In 2017, North Clarion constructed a school garden with assistance from a local agricultural producer Long Acres Farm,the Garden Club of Clarion County, and a retired school teacher Terry Moore.
The garden was planted for the first time in the spring of 2017 and harvested in the fall when the students returned to school.
The harvest consisted of potatoes, corn, squash, tomatoes, and pumpkins.
Local farmers provided educational demonstrations to all elementary students.
Immediately following the harvest, the produce was prepared into french fries and corn on the cob as families were invited to join students in an outdoor picnic.
North Clarion will expand upon this school garden and will work closely with area farmers to incorporate local produce within the school lunch menu.
They will teach children about food and agriculture through garden and classroom education.
It will give students the opportunity to explore the career path associated with agricultural science in a hands on and meaningful way.
Produce will be planted and harvested by the students of the North Clarion County School District elementary and high schools using modern agricultural farming methods in cooperation with local farmers and agricultural consultants.
Implementing a system to store and transfer produce, primarily potatoes, from the garden to the school lunch menu throughout the school year is an essential component of this grant.
Other recipients include the Pennsylvania Department of Education with $99,982; the Pocono Mountains United Way with $29,720; and Weavers Way Community Programs doing business as Food Moxie for $50,000.
North Clarion Superintendent Steven Young said in September the district’s food manager and another person will travel to Louisiana for a training in order to properly implement the grant funding.
“It’s a busy time of year to be on the road, but for $100,000 we have got to do it,” Young said.
According the USDA, the Farm to School Grant Program offers annual grants to schools, school districts, nonprofits, state agencies, agricultural producers, and Indian tribal organizations to plan, implement, or provide training on farm to school activities.
“The Farm to School grants announced (Aug. 5) connect schools with the farmers, ranchers, and producers in their communities,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said. “Everybody wins with Farm to School. USDA is proud to help the next generation better understand where its food comes from, while strengthening local economies.”
According to a press release from the USDA, this record-breaking year for the USDA Farm to School Grant Program was made possible by increased funding from Congress for fiscal years 2018 and 2019, which enabled USDA to award 52 more grants than the previous highest year of 2016 when 74 were granted.
Grants range from $20,000 to $100,000 and fund equipment purchases and experiential learning activities, including planting school gardens, offering taste tests to children, and organizing field trips to local farms and food producers.