But help is coming from an unlikely place: school districts. Starting this fall, K-12 schools will receive millions of dollars in grants from the state’s universal school meals program to purchase food from local farms and ranches. “Now, more than ever, it’s important for school districts that receive that funding to coordinate with producers because producers are having a bad year,” he said. Nieslanik said she’s grateful not just for the business from schools, but also to be part of helping deliver nutritious, local food to students. Nancy Scheinkman/Courtesy photoThe roll-out of local food grants also comes at a challenging time for Western Slope growers.