The escalating fight over trade between the U.S. and foreign countries could mean free food for school districts across the country.
Let's connect the dots. The Department of Agriculture is buying up $1.2 billion in food, purchased from farmers, hurt by ongoing trade disputes.
That food, mostly comes in the form of fruits and veggies, think apples and oranges or canned kidney beans. It's a bonus for school cafeterias which cook their own meals. Districts say they're always open to "bonus" foods if it makes it easier to prepare healthy meals for students.
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There's one problem, school districts plan their menus in bulk long in advance to cope with purchasing contracts, logistics and storage issues. So when they get a sudden windfall in the form of say almond butter or frozen catfish pieces, it can force cafeteria cooks to get creative.
It also means not all of these trade dispute foods get used up by schools. But there's good news: if it doesn't end up in your son or daughter's cafeteria, these free foods do go to the food bank.