{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://poliquin.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/poliquin-announces-grant-help-auburn-school-department-our-local-farmers", "Poliquin Announces Grant to Help the Auburn School Department, Our Local Farmers, and Our Kids", "2015-11-18", "2015", "2015-11", "Republican", "House", "ME", "Bruce Poliquin", "P000611", "poliquin.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, Congressman Bruce Poliquin announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will award the Auburn School Department $45,000 as part of the Farm to School Grant Awards program.\nThe Farm to School Grant Awards Program is designed to increase the use, awareness and appreciation of local food and local producers in schools through procurement, education, and hands-on activities for students. \nIts important for our communities, and most importantly our children, to have access to and knowledge of healthy, local food products, grown and farmed right here in Maine, Congressman Poliquin said.  As a parent myself, I know how important it is for our children to have a healthy diet.  Im pleased to see this beneficial program is supported so we can give our children healthier food choices and the education to make informed decisions about what they eat.\nAccording to the USDAs official summary, the Auburn School District in Maine will formalize the Androscoggin Farm to School Network as a coordinating body; conduct research and analysis to identify current initiatives, best practices, needs, challenges, and strategies to alleviate or reduce barriers to farm to school activities; foster local procurement relationships between school personnel and producers; and continue the operation of school garden programs to develop models for sustainability.\nIn a statement from the National Farm to School Network, the organization says they believe that this program is a win for our nation's kids, farmers and communities, and demand for these competitive grants remains higher than current funding.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://poliquin.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/poliquin-announces-grant-help-auburn-school-department-our-local-farmers"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.75916713103652, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}