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Volume 10, Issue 15, August 2024
Back to School with Local Food
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Summer has a familiar rhythm. A few short weeks after July 4th fireworks, families across America begin the search for backpacks to prepare for the first day of school. School food service directors have been getting ready, too, leveraging a change to procurement rules for Federal child nutrition programs (CNPs) to get local foods on the plate this fall.
As of July 1, all CNPs, including schools, can use the expanded geographic preference option to buy locally grown, raised, and caught agricultural products. School food service directors can now use a new strategy under the geographic preference option, local as a specification. The strategy allows CNPs to require vendors to meet their program’s definition of local for an unprocessed agriculture product as a condition for having their bids considered. Food service directors can also continue to apply a geographic preference, now referred to as a “defined scoring advantage,” which gives vendors extra points or credit for offering locally produced foods when their bids are scored, giving local foods a competitive advantage over non-local ones.
The Dirt reached out to programs that are heavily engaged with local procurement to learn their recipe for a successful program. We learned their secret sauce includes a mix of passion, planning, and partnerships.
The first step in a locally focused procurement process is to understand why featuring local food is important to the program. Bob Gorman is executive director of school nutrition for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) and he works alongside farm to school Project Manager, Rebecca Rodriguez, to get local products onto the plates of students in 86 school sites. “The most important reason we do it is that it just tastes better,” explains Gorman, “we strive to serve local products that are in-season and that means we don’t serve apples until October.”
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Next comes building trust with the local producer community. Rodriguez has been running CMSD’s outreach to local urban Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) farmers and working to build a network of producers more reflective of CMSD’s student body, which is a mix of cultures. “Local foods provide more nutritional value,” explains Rodriguez, “and we really want students to be able to relate to the farmers and show them that they can also have careers and become the next generation of urban farmers, contributing to their community.”
Once inroads are made with the local producer community, it is time to start thinking about getting these agreements into procurement contracts. Getting fresh local products to feed roughly 40,000 students cannot happen overnight, it is a continuous process. Tammy Yarmon is the executive director of nutrition services for Omaha Public Schools (OPS) in Nebraska and has been working to supply the program with everything from local chicken to butternut squash to aronia berries.
Typically, Yarmon works with the program’s produce distributor to start soliciting products for the upcoming school year in February and March, well before the growing season has started. Yarmon says Omaha uses the defined scoring advantage geographic preference option for vendors within 240 miles. But intensive forward contracting, which is when a contract is established in advance of when the product itself is delivered, can be intimidating for newcomers. In the context of buying local, the buyer drafts the terms and agreement with the producer in advance of the growing season and pays for the product upon delivery. That is why Yarmon will work with producers who have had long working relationships with OPS to help explain the contracting process to other producers who find boilerplate legalese daunting.
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But it isn’t always smooth sailing, and the process requires continuous reevaluation and improvement. San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) is a massive program that serves scratch-made meals with food sourced from local California farms to all 224 schools and their hungry students. Asked about the biggest challenge when procuring local products for a program as big as SDUSD, Janelle Manzano, Farm to School Program Specialist with SDUSD, says, “Volume is our major challenge. As the second-largest school district in California, it can be challenging to source produce that meets the needs of our large student population while ensuring quality, freshness, and local sourcing.”
The team at SDUSD takes the challenge seriously. Manzano explains how they tackle the challenge by “maintaining a strong working relationship with our distributor, who is fully committed to finding farm partners capable of handling our large volumes. Our distributor goes above and beyond to facilitate collaboration with local farmers, whether by assisting with the purchase of entire orchards or ensuring ease of transportation to our sites.”
So, what did we learn about making that secret sauce? It requires a lot of planning and constant dialogue with administrators, farmers, and distributors. Even when we follow our time-tested recipes, we sometimes need to make adjustments as we go. But when students taste the final recipe, it is all worth it.
For more information on the geographic preference option and how you can scale up local foods in your school meal program, visit our procurement resource page.
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Comment on the Interim Final Rule, Establishing the Summer EBT Program and Rural Non-Congregate Option in the Summer Meal Programs!
On December 29, 2023, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) published an interim final rule, Establishing the Summer EBT Program and Rural Non-congregate Option in the Summer Meal Programs. This rule codified the permanent rural non-congregate summer meal service for both the Summer Food Service Program and the National School Lunch Program’s Seamless Summer Option, as well as created the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children Program (Summer EBT).
USDA welcomes public comments until today, August 27, 2024, via:
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The Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov/document/FNS-2023-0029-0077. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
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Mail: Send comments to Community Meals Policy Division, USDA Food and Nutrition Service, 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 22314.
All submitted comments will be included in the record and made available to the public. The substance of the comments and the identity of the individuals or entities submitting them will be subject to public disclosure. The Food and Nutrition Service will make the comments publicly available via https://www.regulations.gov.
The USDA Farmers Market Celebrations
The USDA Farmers Market (Independence Avenue and 14th St, SW, Washington, DC 20250) holds many celebrations throughout the market season. If you are in the DC Metro Area, here are a few upcoming events to get excited about:
- Women's Equality Day and National Dog Day, August 30
- National Food Safety Education Month, September 6
- World Suicide Prevention Day & Hispanic Heritage Month, September 13
- Latino Conservation Week & Malnutrition Awareness Week, September 20
- Harvest Festival, October 25
For more information about these events and upcoming market festivities, please reach out to evan.rakshys@usda.gov.
National Breastfeeding Month
August is National Breastfeeding Month, a time to highlight the importance of supporting and providing opportunities for individuals and groups to learn more about making informed decisions on breastfeeding. Find information on how to celebrate, including promotion of weekly celebrations for Indigenous, Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders, Black, and Latina families, at National Breastfeeding Month (usbreastfeeding.org).
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Culturally Inclusive Foods Webpage
USDA’s new Culturally Inclusive Foods webpage is a one-stop shop for FNS resources and information that support cultural eating practices in federal nutrition programs, like CNPs, WIC, SNAP, Food Distribution Programs, and more. From culturally inspired recipes, trainings, USDA Foods lists with culturally inclusive foods, to materials in multiple languages, the website supports FNS’ goal to ensure all communities have access to foods that support health and well-being. The site also features new resources for serving kosher and halal observant communities.
New USDA Resource: Reducing Added Sugars at School Breakfast
The USDA has released a new training guide for school nutrition professionals on how to identify sources of added sugars in school breakfast meals and how to reduce added sugar intake to meet the added sugar limits in the Final Rule - Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines, starting in school year 2025. The guide also covers how school nutrition professionals can answer questions from families and caregivers about added sugars and low and no-calorie sweeteners in school breakfast.
Transforming School Meals: How School Meals for All Policies Can Drive Food System Change Join this webinar, hosted by the National Farm to School Network, as part of their “Who’s At the Table?” School Meals Campaign. Since the end of pandemic-era federal waivers, the momentum for School Meals for All (SM4A) policies is growing. This webinar will explore how SM4A is contributing to farm to school and nutritious meals for kids and food systems transformation. The webinar will take place on September 17, 2024, 04:00 PM ET.
NY Farm to School Summit registration now open!
The Inaugural NY Farm to School Summit will occur November 21-22nd in Syracuse, New York. Workshops, presentations, discussion panels, and field trips instructed by professionals in the field provide great opportunities for new farm to school farmers, producers, educators, and others starting their farm to school journey. The Summit will offer a limited number of scholarship tickets at a 50 percent discount!
Get Schools Cooking Program
The Chef Ann Foundation’s “Get Schools Cooking” program (GSC) helps school districts transition from a heat-and-serve to a scratch-cooking operational model so they can serve students fresher, healthier, and more appetizing meals.
GSC is an intensive 3-year assessment and strategic planning program that provides schools with:
- Individualized technical support to assist in sustainably moving from a highly processed to cook from scratch operation.
- Assessment of barriers and identification of actions in five key areas of school food service: Food, Finance, Facilities, Human Resources, and Marketing.
- Support for districts in developing action plans that create a structured framework to achieve their strategic objectives.
- System improvement grants that support the implementation of recommended actions and next steps.
Open to K-12 school districts that run a self-operated meal program and participate in the National School Lunch Program. Districts must also demonstrate support from district leadership and be committed to working towards a scratch-cook meal program.
Healthy School Food Pathway Fellowship
In districts across the U.S., devoted school food professionals are working hard to make their meal programs healthier, more sustainable, and more equitable. The Chef Ann Foundation’s Healthy School Food Pathway Fellowship is designed for these dedicated professionals, empowering them to lead transformative school food reform in their districts and at a national scale. The Fellowship provides an incredible opportunity for mid- to upper-level school food professionals to enhance their skills and amplify their impact. Applications for the 2025 cohort are open until September 12.
The Agricultural Connection Community
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Agricultural Connection community is dedicated to providing valuable information and technical assistance to enhance career services and training for migrant and seasonal farmworkers. Visiting our platform allows individuals to gain insights into the National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) and the Monitor Advocate System (MAS). Our New Resources section is regularly updated with the latest MAS Training Modules, MAS Regulations and Guidance, and NFJP Administration and Operations information.
Nemours Farm to ECE Learning Collaboratives
The aim of the Farm to ECE Learning Collaboratives is to promote healthy development in young children through integrating locally grown foods into meals and snacks served in ECE settings, educating children on how food is grown, and providing hands-on experiences for them to learn to grow their own food in ECE settings. Through this approach ECE program environments, practices, and policies will be improved. These materials are free for organizations interested in training ECE providers on best practices in Farm to ECE.
Nemours' Farm to ECE Learning Collaborative Materials include facilitator guides, resource directories, learning session materials, evaluation tools, participant handouts, and more. These comprehensive, step-by-step learning collaborative guides will set you up for Farm to ECE success.
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Getting Real and Getting Ready for a Community Food Projects Competitive Grant Program Application
In preparation for 2024 USDA NIFA Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program Request for Applications, ISED and the Food Systems Leadership Network are co-hosting a two-part webinar to learn about the application process and offer tips and tricks. Guest speakers Winona Bynum (Detroit Food Policy Council), Amanda Toerdal (Kawerak, Inc.) and Bianca Bockman (RiseBoro Community Partnership) will speak on their own proposals and project experiences and give valuable insight on the grant process.
Part 1: To Apply or Not to Apply (Wednesday, August 28, 2-3:15pm ET)
Part 2: Tips, Tricks, and Hacks for Successful Application (Wednesday, September 11, 2-3:15pm ET)
Regional Food Business Center Resources
Farm-to-School Partnerships: Expanding Market Opportunities for Farmers and Food Producers
Join the USDA Southwest Regional Food Business Center on October 16th from 6-7PM ET for their second webinar focused on Farm-To-School initiatives. The webinar will feature Center partners who will highlight how Farm to School programs can help farmers and food businesses expand their market reach and create sustainable revenue streams.
USDA and the Heartland Regional Food Business Center Make Available Over $3.7 Million to Farm and Food Businesses in First Round of Business Builder Grants
Heartland Regional Food Business Center (RFBC) today announced the availability of over $3.7 million in Business Builder Grants to support small, mid-sized, and diverse food and farm entrepreneurs. These grants will promote business expansion, job creation, business capacity building, and increase local products in the local market. The funding is available for projects in Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and northwest Arkansas.
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USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).
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