Credit: WRDE

MARYLAND – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Jamie B. Raskin, David Trone and Glenn Ivey (all D-Md.) have announced that they have secured $2.9 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funding for Maryland school meal programs.

The lawmakers say the money come from the USDA’s Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program, which the Maryland Department of Education will use to buy nutritious foods from area farmers and processors for use in school lunches. They say the meals will change based on each district’s regional specialties.


“Maryland’s farmers and producers not only provide the food on our kitchen tables, but they also help drive our state’s economy,” said the lawmakers. “This program will help instill an early appreciation for our Maryland’s essential agriculture, while providing healthy options to fuel young minds.”

According to the lawmakers, The Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program was authorized under the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act, which is meant to prioritize historically underserved Maryland producers and processers.