A $150,000 grant awarded to Attica Central Schools by the U.S. Department of Agriculture will significantly contribute to the district’s ongoing efforts to enhance the quality of school meals, promote healthy eating habits among students and facilitate the procurement of food and ingredients from local producers.
The USDA awarded the grant, which will help fund district food service operations through June 30, 2026, through its Supporting Community Agriculture and Local Education Systems, or SCALES, program. USDA funds the grant program through its Food and Nutrition Service while Boise State University acts as the program leader.
This year’s grant application process was highly competitive, with USDA and Boise State only issuing a dozen grants across the country.
In choosing what districts to award funding to, USDA prioritized districts that were committed to building partnerships across “all aspects of the food system, including growers and producers, food distributors and processors, and businesses that facilitate purchasing and preparation.”
“Furthermore,” said Meaghan Matuszak, Attica’s Assistant Superintendent of Business and Operations, “this grant will allow the district to retain Alicia Spoth, our recently hired farm to school coordinator, for the next three years which will ensure continuity and expertise in our many farm-to-school initiatives.”
In Attica, the grant funding will allow us to continue and expand upon our existing farm to school initiatives including, but not limited to, the following ways:
• Continued and increased purchasing of local farm products for school meals;
• Education and purchasing connections with socially disadvantaged growers;
• Continued and expanded gardening education and projects featuring farm products;
• Cooking and food preservation classes;
• Farm and food field trips;
• Guest chef demonstrations focused on preparing health dishes;
• After-school and summer programs dedicated to farm-to-school and agriculture education;
• Training sessions for cafeteria staff; and
• Key partnerships with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Wyoming County and Merle’s Fresh Produce.
“We’re excited about the opportunities this grant presents,” said Matuszak, “and are committed to using the funds effectively to benefit our students and continue promoting a culture of healthy eating within our schools.”
To learn more about the SCALES grant program, click here.