Lawrence girl scout Sally Hubbard lifts a wheelbarrow as Darby Van Fleet shovels out a load of mulch as part of the USD 497 Farm to School program's efforts to construct a raised-bed garden behind Prairie Park School on Friday, July 17, 2015.

The Lawrence school district has received a $44,976 planning grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help with the development of Farm 2 School programs in Baldwin City and Eudora schools while also strengthening Lawrence’s existing Farm 2 School program.

The Lawrence district is one of 65 projects, spanning 42 states as well as Puerto Rico, to receive support this year through the USDA’s Farm 2 School Grant Program, according to a news release from the district.

The planning funds will be used to survey current practices, successes and gaps in existing programming; bring stakeholders across Douglas County together to identify and address barriers and challenges; form stronger partnerships with local food partners; train kitchen staff to handle local produce; craft a sustainable marketing campaign to create excitement around programming in each district; and develop a targeted Farm 2 School curriculum scope and sequence, the news release said.

“During the 2016-2017 school year, our school cafeterias served more than 17 tons of locally grown fruits and vegetables,” Paula Murrish, the Lawrence district’s director of food service, said in the news release. “This planning grant aims to increase the amount of local foods being served to include protein sources and winter vegetables, as well as expand offerings into the summer food service program.”

The district’s news release also cited the 2015 USDA “Farm to School Census,” which found that schools with strong Farm 2 School programs report higher school meal participation, reduced food waste, and an increased willingness of students to try new foods, among them fruits and vegetables.