Farm-to-school Program Bill Sent To Governor Edwards Who Supports It

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana lawmakers have sent to the governor's desk a bill to create a farm-to-school program that encourages locally-grown products in state public school cafeterias.

With an 85-0 vote Thursday, the state House gave the Senate-supported measure final legislative passage. The bill by Sen. Francis Thompson, a Delhi Democrat, earned unanimous approval from each chamber.

Gov. John Bel Edwards has included the measure in his legislative agenda and is expected to sign it into law.

State education officials and the state agriculture department will develop a program that supports relationships between local farmers and schools. The program will include an inventory of farms across the state and pair the groups to encourage the use of local crops in school nutrition programs.

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