MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Money from the U.S. Agriculture Department is being used to ensure healthy lunches are available to children in South Carolina schools.
Nearly 30 million kids eat school lunches each day across the U.S., and the USDA’s funding of the farm-to-table program helps educate children about local food and agriculture while also providing healthier school lunches.
“This is something that South Carolina has embraced,” USDA spokesperson Cindy Long said. “We’ve provided over $3 million in that state alone specifically to support the purchase of local foods, and of course that’s on top of any local purchasing that was already happening.”
Long said the USDA has provided more than $78 million to schools to purchase local foods.
“One of the things we’re really focusing on now is bringing in local fresh foods to schools and really strengthening the ties between school meal programs and local producers and growers,” Long said.
Long said it’s important that students look forward to their meals.