The Lone Tree and Fairfield Community School Districts each received a grant from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship to help purchase food from local producers.

The grant, which is part of the Choose Iowa program, was authorized in 2024 and is designed to connect food programs in local schools with producers participating in Choose Iowa.

Schools could apply for up to $1,000 per building. The grant is a matching grant, meaning districts must also spend at least as much of their own money on food from Choose Iowa members as they receive in the grant.

The funds must be spent in the 2025-26 school year.