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July 1, 2014 | Volume 3, Issue 13
  Updates
New Farm to School Census Infographic
Did you know that during the 2011-2012 school year,
school districts spent more than $385 million
on local food for school meal programs and that 56% of those districts indicated that they planned to
buy more local foods in the future? Those figures represent a huge economic impact and a
promising market opportunity, both of which are celebrated in a fun new
infographic (pictured above) that we developed as part of the release of the final results of the Farm
to School Census. To check out, download, and use this new visual
resource, click here!
We were thrilled that Secretary Vilsack highlighted some of the exciting new Farm to School Census results during a recent White House Rural Council meeting
discussing local and regional food systems. If you missed the meeting, you can watch a recording here.
What are you doing with the new Census data and associated resources? We are hungry to hear about how state agencies, non-profit organizations, researchers, and school districts across the country are using the Farm to School Census. Do you have a story to share?
Trainings & Webinars
Watch Our Entire 12-Part Local Procurement Webinar Series Online!
Whew, we made it through all twelve trainings in our Finding, Buying, and Serving Local Foods webinar series!
Thanks to those of you who were able to attend and stuck with us the whole
time. For those who weren’t able to login, recordings of all of the webinars are now
available on the webinar page of the USDA Farm to School website.
Procurement can be a scary 11-letter word, but in this
series we broke it down and showed how buying local can fit into almost any
district’s procurement plans. Each
webinar focused on a specific topic and most highlighted
districts across the country that are buying local foods in accordance with regulations.
Maybe you’ve heard of a forward contract, but don’t know how
to establish one. Perhaps you’re working with a local producer under an informal
agreement, but aren't sure how to document your solicitation. We have webinars to help you navigate both of these topics with confidence.
Is there a buzz in your district about using geographic
preference? We can help there too, with two webinars focused on the topic (check them out here
and here). Maybe you're interested in learning more
about buying local through DoD
Fresh and USDA
Foods? We’ve got you covered.
If you're at the very beginning stages of establishing a local procurement program, check out our webinars on conducting
a baseline assessment and finding
local producers. And if you need to go back and brush up on the basics, we recommend the first webinar in the series, an overview
of procurement rules.
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 Bits from Blogs
Introducing www.usda.gov/newfarmers: A One-Stop Shop for the Farmers of Tomorrow
Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden
Growing up on a farm in Camilla, Ga., I developed a passion for agriculture early. Being a farmer’s daughter helped me understand the challenges farmers and ranchers face over time and the need for common-sense policies and programs to create and expand opportunities for the farmers of the future. Now, as the Deputy Secretary of the USDA, my highest priority is to ensure that beginning farmers and ranchers – women, young people, immigrants, socially disadvantaged producers, returning veterans and retirees – have access to the programs and support they need to succeed...
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