Ottumwa Schools Receives USDA Farm to School Matching Grant

Ottumwa Community School District’s Food & Nutrition Services Department is excited to announce it has received $1,600 in Choose Iowa Local Food for Schools matching grant funds through the Iowa Department of Agriculture. The district will provide an additional $1,600 match, bringing the total investment in local Farm to School efforts to $3,200.

The Farm to School initiative helps connect students with fresh, locally grown foods through designated food hubs while supporting Iowa farmers and producers. As part of this effort, the district’s Director of Food & Nutrition Services chose to use part of the grant funds to celebrate National Apple Crunch Day on Wednesday, October 14.

For the celebration, Ottumwa Schools  purchased fresh apples from 2 Iowa orchards, giving students the opportunity to enjoy locally grown produce while learning about the important connection between local agriculture and the food served in their school cafeterias. The orchards are both family-owned and operated farms. Pinter's Gardens & Pumpkins is out of Decorah.  They are co-owned by Shane & Elisa Pinter and have been in business since 1998. The other orchard is Bilden's in Elgin, Iowa. Hans and Allison Bilden took over the family business in January 2023 from Hans’ parents, Erling and Mary Bilden. The elder Bildens, who resided at the rural Elgin home farm for 45 years, started the orchard in 2006 and opened it to the public in 2013. As the second-generation owners, Hans and Allison intend to continue to grow the endeavor for years to come. Some of the varieties of apples purchased are: Gala, Cortland, Ruby Mac, Liberty & Empire.

National Crunch Day encourages students and staff to “crunch” into locally grown apples together in celebration of healthy eating, local agriculture, and Farm to School programs.

“This grant gives us a wonderful opportunity to bring locally grown food directly into our schools while supporting producers in our area,” said Yvonne Johnson, Director of Food & Nutrition Services. “National Crunch Day is a fun way for our students to experience fresh, local food and learn more about where their food comes from.”

Ottumwa Community Schools Food & Nutrition Services is committed to providing nutritious meals to students while continuing to explore opportunities to incorporate locally grown foods into school meal programs.

Through the Choose Iowa Local Food for Schools Farm to School matching grant, Ottumwa Schools is proud to support healthy students, local agriculture, and stronger connections between our schools and our community.