NASHVILLE (AP) - Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee has been awarded a $100,000 grant for a sweet potato "rescue."

The Environmental Stewardship and Energy Sustainability grant comes from the Piedmont Natural Gas Foundation.

According to Second Harvest, the nonprofit is using the money to purchase at a reduced price 320,000 pounds of sweet potatoes that don't meet the size and shape standards set by large commercial buyers.

The sweet potatoes are just as nutritious as their shapelier counterparts, but they would likely be discarded.

The grant money is also funding the transportation, staff and packaging costs necessary to distribute the sweet potatoes to hungry families across Middle Tennessee. The money will also help Second Harvest print recipe cards, perform mobile cooking demonstrations and replace a natural gas grill.