Nutrition grants meant to help Washington schools, farmers
Public schools would be allowed to pay more for Washington produce as part of a new law promoted as a way to improve child nutrition while supporting Evergreen State farmers.
"It's a tremendous opportunity for us. We just need to connect with our farmers. ... It's great for kids to learn where food comes from - not from a can or a box," said Lisa Chatterton, a dietitian and nutrition service supervisor for the Franklin Pierce School District in Parkland.
The Washington Environmental Council and others lobbied for the "Local Farms-Healthy Kids" legislation as a way to foster good health, plus support agriculture and sustainable living.
The $1.5 million measure provides $570,000 in school nutrition grants beginning next fall. But some school nutrition managers are skeptical about whether the law will change what children eat in school.
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