Locally-grown foods landing in school cafeterias

It seems like parents are always bugging their kids to eat fruits and vegetables, and a recent push by First Lady Michelle Obama is bringing more of those foods to school lunches.

Now a new effort by the Colorado Farm-to-School program is bringing locally grown produce into Centennial State schools.

The program, which has grown from 22 districts in the state in 2010 to more than five dozen in 2012, is not only benefiting kids, but drawing more attention to local growers across the state.

"It...helps to create an awareness within the community and with our youngsters about what goes on around them, the local production...," explained Charlie Talbott of Talbott's Mountain Gold in Palisade.  "That education value and that awareness I think helps us become a part of their equation."

Farm to school pilot programs have taken place in Montrose, Durango, Gunnison, Greeley, Denver, and Colorado Springs.

A task force has been set up to offer resources and recommendation to help connect schools in the state with food that's locally produced.

The task force has guided and/or supported districts through "endorsements and grant-seeking farm-to-school pilot projects.

With that help, three districts were awarded grants by the USDA in 2012.

Those grants included money for Denver Public Schools, Greeley/Evans Schools, and Fort Lupton Schools.