The U.S. Department of Agriculture has given the Wyoming Department of Education a $65,000 grant to boost local food programs at schools across the state.

So-called ‘farm to school’ programs have been on the uptick in Wyoming in the past few years. The Wyoming Department of Education says the grant money will be used to put on 5 regional conferences to get school districts and local producers into productive partnerships.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow says these partnerships benefit Wyoming students nutritionally—and educationally.

“Too often, kids in America think that food comes from the store,” says Balow. “It’s important for all kids to know where food comes from. And, in Wyoming, we have a unique opportunity to not only teach, but to let our kids across the state experience farm to table and what that means.”

Wyoming education officials say there are misconceptions that schools can’t serve local foods under the federal school lunch program. They hope to remedy that with an ongoing education campaign.