Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles has recognized the Bowling Green Independent School District as the first district in the state to reach the $36,000 lifetime cap on state reimbursements for local food purchases under the Kentucky Proud program.

“That means they spent well over $250,000 on buying Kentucky Proud products, supporting local farmers,” Quarles said Friday at a Kentucky Proud luncheon at Jackson’s Orchard in Bowling Green.

The Kentucky Proud program encourages consumers to buy agricultural products grown and raised in the state. It’s funded through the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund.

Students from Dishman-McGinnis Elementary School, school district representatives, local elected officials and Kentucky Proud vendors attended the luncheon, which offered Kentucky Proud chicken drumsticks, Jackson’s Orchard apple cider and other food sourced and processed in the state.

Quarles announced the school system was reimbursed a total of $36,000 in the past three years through the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Buy Local program and its predecessor, Restaurant Rewards, according to a news release. The school district spent more than $250,000 on local Kentucky Proud foods during that period of time.

Quarles thanked the district for supporting the department’s goals.

“It helps support and reinforce what we’re trying to do,” he said. “That’s developing healthy eating habits. It’s also about teaching kids that chocolate milk doesn’t come from brown cows.”

Quarles also presented Kim Simpson, the district’s food service director, with the first-ever Kentucky Proud Buy Local award. In an interview after the event, Simpson said she felt very honored by the award.

Under the Buy Local program, a restaurant or other food service may be reimbursed 15 percent of the cost of eligible Kentucky Proud products, up to $12,000 per year, with a lifetime cap of $36,000.

Simpson noted that last year the district spent $85,000 on locally sourced food.

“I think it’s very important that people spend their dollars locally,” she said, adding that she enjoys serving kids fresh food. “It’s just really exciting when I get a load of strawberries that were picked that day.”