Every year the Minnesota Division of Agriculture’s Farm to College grants are awarded to colleges in an effort to assist faculty meals packages serving extra meals grown throughout the state of Minnesota. Faculties who’re a part of the state faculty lunch program can apply for the grant every faculty 12 months.
Nice Expectations College in Grand Marais was awarded a Farm to College grant for the 2025-2026 faculty 12 months. GES Meals Service Director Abbyzak LeGare spoke with WTIP concerning the faculty’s present meals program, and what they hope to do with the Farm to College grant cash. In accordance with LeGare, 30-40 college students have breakfast and about 100 have lunch every day in school.
LeGare has a comparatively excessive stage of management when setting the meal menu. They defined that the state program units necessities for what objects have to be included within the meal – a protein, a grain, fruits, and greens, however so long as a meal meets these requirements, they are often versatile. LeGare mentioned they method the menu, “attempting to provide the children what they need, what they’ll eat, what’s acquainted. But in addition aim of mine is to be difficult them to eat extra vegatables and fruits.”
Whereas LeGare could also be hoping to get extra produce onto lunch trays, the Farm to College grant cash can be utilized for any Minnesota-grown product. LeGare mentioned they’re hoping to have the ability to supply a few of the meat served at GES from Minnesota farmers. How native colleges are in a position to get, nevertheless, can range.
This system shouldn’t be with out its difficulties. LeGare defined that for rural colleges like GES, the place entry to suppliers will be restricted, getting produce into the cafeteria will be extra sophisticated. “I take advantage of one or two distributors, and they’re the intermediary to getting me my vegatables and fruits. So I solely have a lot say over that,” they defined.
With a brief rising season, for rural northland colleges, very native produce in the course of the faculty 12 months won’t be accessible. Plus, with few farms producing on a big scale, LeGare mentioned they’re contemplating an extended timeline than only one faculty 12 months as they attempt to incorporate extra native meals into the menu. They added that they’re attempting to attach with extra native growers to see what is feasible, and exploring choices round how one can get the college’s wants factored into farmers’ subject plans.
Within the meantime, LeGare mentioned they’re hoping to proceed to strengthen the connection that college students have with meals. “The youngsters love meals, and I like meals, and I feel lots of people get enthusiastic about meals, and it’s a connecting factor for all of us,” LeGare mentioned. “So I need to do extra of that and simply preserve determining how one can join by way of it.”
WTIP’s Kirsten Wisniewski spoke with Abbyzak LeGare concerning the GES meals program and the Farm to College grant. Audio of that interview is under.
