Lawrence Times

Reps. Aaron Bernstine and Marla Brown have announced the recipients of Farm-to-School Grants in Lawrence County. These grants, provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, aim to improve access to local food and offer agricultural learning experiences for children from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.

Marla Brown expressed her satisfaction with the funding: “I’m thrilled to see such vital funding come to our community. These grants not only help connect children to local, healthy food but also enhance their agricultural education through hands-on experiences. This is a wonderful opportunity to enrich the lives of our students and strengthen our local food systems.”

Aaron Bernstine highlighted the significance of these projects: “These projects demonstrate the importance of connecting students with Pennsylvania’s rich agricultural heritage and nutritious, locally grown food. I look forward to seeing the positive impact these grants will have on our community.”

The grant recipients in Lawrence County are Laurel School District, which received $7,500 for purchasing a freezer to store locally sourced beef as part of the Pennsylvania Beef for PA Schools program, and Lawrence County Social Services, which was awarded $15,000 for its Healthy Start Ag and Nutrition Center. The funds will be used for maintaining grow zones and supporting early learning field trips and family engagement events.

Overall, the PA Farm-to-School Grant Program distributed $462,607 across 45 schools, school districts, and childhood education centers in 26 counties.