The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has awarded 300-dollar mini-grants to 30 participating sponsors to purchase local food as part of the Iowa Farm to Summer “Root For Radishes” campaign.
The mini-grant recipients include the Loring Hospital in Sac City, and Kids World Inc in Sac City.
“Roots For Radishes” is a statewide effort to promote summer meal sites by celebrating local radishes as the raddest vegetable of the summer. The goal is to increase participation of children at Iowa summer meal sites, while also building market demand for local producers.
The Iowa Department of Ag received over 50 applications from summer meal sites sponsors, community partners, and early childhood education providers. Participants are required to source local produce from area producers, and are encouraged to share promotional materials and learning opportunities with children.
The statewide program is part of a five-year campaign, with a different vegetable becoming the focus each summer. Funding is provided by the Iowa Department of Ag through the Specialty Crop Block Grant offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
