"Carrots" for carrots: Buying local produce for school lunches

Students queuing up to get their lunch at a school in Virginia, the United States. Many US states have farm-to-school programmes aimed at improving the quality of school lunches and educating students about nutrition and where their food comes from. — TNS

Local foods, once rare on school lunch trays, are gradually becoming more available in American school cafeterias as US states promote fresh produce, legumes, meats and fish.

Farm-to-school programmes aim to improve the quality of school lunches and educate students about nutrition and where their food comes from. Programmes also provide new markets for growers, which can strengthen local economies.