The Iowa Department of Education announced it was awarded Monday a nearly $100,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm-to-School grant to incorporate locally grown food in school meals and provide educational programming on sustainability and wellness. It is the second consecutive year the department is receiving the grant, which is supported by matching funds from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. The grant will support programming for the next two school years, including connecting school nutrition staff with local farmers and helping staff better understand purchasing and food safety procedures. The Iowa Department of Education, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, and Iowa State Extension and Outreach are partnering on the educational programming. The funding includes $67,677 from the USDA and $25,000 from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. More information about the grant program is available on the Iowa Department of Education’s website.