Ottumwa Community School District’s Food & Nutrition Services Department is excited to
announce it has received $1,600 in Choose Iowa Local Food for Schools matching grant funds
through the Iowa Department of Agriculture. The district will provide an additional $1,600 match,
bringing the total investment in local Farm to School efforts to $3,200.
The Farm to School initiative helps connect students with fresh, locally grown foods through
designated food hubs while supporting Iowa farmers and producers. As part of this effort, the
district’s Director of Food & Nutrition Services chose to use part of the grant funds to celebrate
National Apple Crunch Day on Wednesday, October 14.
For the celebration, Ottumwa Schools purchased fresh apples from 2 Iowa orchards, giving
students the opportunity to enjoy locally grown produce while learning about the important
connection between local agriculture and the food served in their school cafeterias. The orchards
are both family-owned and operated farms. Pinter’s Gardens & Pumpkins is out of Decorah. They
are co-owned by Shane & Elisa Pinter and have been in business since 1998. The other orchard is
Bilden’s in Elgin, Iowa. Hans and Allison Bilden took over the family business in January 2023 from
Hans’ parents, Erling and Mary Bilden. The elder Bildens, who resided at the rural Elgin home farm
for 45 years, started the orchard in 2006 and opened it to the public in 2013. As the second-generation owners, Hans and Allison intend to continue to grow the endeavor for years to come. Some of the varieties of apples purchased are: Gala, Cortland, Ruby Mac, Liberty & Empire.
National Crunch Day encourages students and staff to “crunch” into locally grown apples together
in celebration of healthy eating, local agriculture, and Farm to School programs.
“This grant gives us a wonderful opportunity to bring locally grown food directly into our schools
while supporting producers in our area,” said Yvonne Johnson, Director of Food & Nutrition
Services. “National Crunch Day is a fun way for our students to experience fresh, local food and
learn more about where their food comes from.”
Ottumwa Community Schools Food & Nutrition Services is committed to providing nutritious meals
to students while continuing to explore opportunities to incorporate locally grown foods into school
meal programs.
Through the Choose Iowa Local Food for Schools Farm to School matching grant, Ottumwa
Schools is proud to support healthy students, local agriculture, and stronger connections between
our schools and our community.
