A special delivery was made to all schools in the Zachary Community School District on Jan. 5.
Grass-fed beef from family-owned Muse 3 Farms in Greensburg was delivered by the Muse family to the school cafeterias. Muse 3 Farms is a vendor provided by the LSU AgCenter to supply the schools through a grant awarded to the ZCSD child nutrition program.
The Zachary Community School District’s child nutrition program was awarded the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Purchasing grant. This grant allows the district to purchase food from local and regional farmers/producers, targeting small businesses in the region.
The goal is to give school food authorities the opportunity to procure local foods that are unique to their geographic area and meet the needs of their schools, a news release said.
In addition to increasing local food consumption, funds are expected to help expand economic opportunities for smaller local farmers and producers. This grant seeks to provide the Louisiana Department of Agriculture, in collaboration with the LSU AgCenter, an opportunity to strengthen the local and regional food system. It will also support local farmers, producers, and school districts by expanding economic opportunities, ultimately establishing and broadening partnerships for fresh and nutritious foods in schools.
