Preschoolers at five of Lincolnas grade schools will get their hands dirty this spring.

There will be purpose to the mess: to help them understand where the food they eat comes from, what it takes to go from that dirt to food on their plates and why itas so good for them.

The project is part of a $45,000 grant Lincoln Public Schools received from the U.S.

Farm to School is a growing focus for the USDA, which manages the National School Lunch Program. Thatas a 105 percent increase over 2011-12.

A survey done last year showed that 42 percent of the nationas school districts that responded had Farm to School programs in 2013-14, and another 16 percent — more than 2,000 districts — had plans to start.

In Nebraska, 29 percent — or 71 — school districts had Farm to School programs, including 458 schools and 188,637 students.

Lincoln Public Schools was among those districts, using produce from local growers when possible and contracting with a company that gets 80 percent of its milk from Nebraska cattle, said Edith Zumwalt, LPS director of nutrition services.

Using local produce has its challenges, she said.

Zumwalt also hopes to have a local food day once a month next year.

aIam for (farm to school programs) as long as I can get it for equal or less cost,” she said. But I like it because it looks really good, the kids like it, it has good flavor.

aThese local producers, I admire them, itas lots of work to produce food.a

To that end, the grant will begin to teach young children just how much work it requires.

At Arnold, Everett, Elliott, Belmont and Holmes elementary schools, teachers will work with preschool and school-age students in after-school programs to grow fresh produce.

Part of the reason LPS chose those schools is because they already had gardening beds and after-school programs.