Grant Will Connect Ohio County Students And Farmers

Starting this fall, elementary and middle school students in Ohio County schools will have far greater access to locally grown produce and farmers in the area will have a bigger market for fresh produce. 

That’s because Grow Ohio Valley (GrowOV) has gotten a $250,000 Patrick Leahy Farm to School grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

“Our plan is to be in schools for educational classes, demonstrations, have farmers in the schools for educational programming as well, and then also to sell local produce to the school, which we do now on a lower scale,” Executive Director Jodi Adams said. “This should really help us be able to increase the scale and get more to the schools.” 

The grant facilitates a five-part program that includes nutrition education, farmer-led classroom experiences, culinary learning opportunities, local food procurement, and community engagement. Students will participate in monthly cooking classes, interactive farm-based learning, and taste-testing experiences designed to build lifelong healthy eating habits. 

“One of our objectives is to really teach those kids why local produce is important for their bodies and their energy levels and their ability to think and learn and stay awake in class,” Adams said. 

She also said fresh produce contains more nutrients and tastes better, something she hopes young students will learn quickly. 

The program aims to deliver at least 2,000 pounds of locally grown produce into school cafeterias beginning this fall.