$90,688 grant will equip school cafeterias to purchase, prep, freeze and serve seasonal produce

The North East Independent School District’s School Nutrition Services Department will equip school cafeterias to prepare, store and serve more locally-grown fruits and vegetables with the help of a $90,688 federal grant.

Fruit smoothies will be among the healthy menu items offered at high schools courtesy of the Farm to School grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “We know that students have diverse tastes and may select food products based on appearance,” said Sharon Glosson, the district’s Executive Director of School Nutrition Services. “Our goal is to provide fresh products in different forms, like smoothies, to determine which offering is more popular.

Glosson said that the proposal focuses on three main activities: processing and freezing local produce and increasing the number of fresh produce menu items.

North East ISD was one of two public school districts in Texas to receive the implementation grant. Previously, the district was awarded a planning grant in 2015. The district’s project was among 73 funded nationwide.

“We will increase the purchase of local produce to expose students to a variety of healthy options including raw selections and prepared menu items,” Glosson said, adding that the grant will touch close to 66,000 students.

Brandon Lipps, Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, said that the grants “expose students to the local foods and the importance of agriculture while supporting American farmers in both urban and rural economies.”

North East educators interested in seeking grants can access the grants mini-base created by the district’s Government Relations and Grant Development Department. District educators must be signed into the district’s intranet system to access: https://www.neisd.net/Page/471. Watch the video on the “Grant Training and Writing” page before starting the grant writing process.