A new program has been launched by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to deliver locally grown fruit and vegetables to school cafeterias.

The department's Farm-to-School program is a matchmaker for school food service directors who are seeking nutritious Virginia-grown farm products for their school menus.

Virginia schools spend more than $6 million annually on fresh produce, and the program is intended to deliver some of those dollars to in-state growers.

The department's commissioner, Todd P. Haymore, says the Farm-to-School program can also help address the problem of childhood obesity.

-- The Associated Press