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Schools Get Grants to Offer Fresh Fruit, Veggies

By Beacon Staff

HELENA – Seventy Montana schools will share nearly $800,000 in grants to promote better nutrition by offering more fresh fruits and vegetables to students.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture grants on Thursday. She says the goal is to expand the variety of fruits and vegetables children try and to increase their consumption of produce.

The grant money can be spent on providing fresh fruit and vegetable snacks, creating jobs to help prepare the snacks and help the schools purchase equipment to store the fresh produce.

The grants are targeted at schools with a high percentage of students qualifying for free and reduced-cost lunches.