USDA funding for local food purchases now available for school nutrition operators

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that its latest funding is now available for School Food Authorities (SFA) to purchase more local food for their programs. 

First announced in the fall, the funding allocates up to $471.5 million for states and territories to purchase local, unprocessed, or minimally processed domestic foods for use in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program and up to $188.6 million for use in childcare facilities that participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). In addition, it will allocate up to $471.5 million for states, territories, and Tribal governments to use in local feeding programs, including food banks, schools and other organizations in underserved communities.

The move reiterates the department’s focus on expanding farm-to-school initiatives over the past few years. 

Since COVID-19, the USDA has distributed over $1 billion into local food purchases for school food programs and more. Earlier this summer it also awarded a record-breaking $14.3 million in farm-to-school grant funding as part of its Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program. 

“USDA believes that a healthier future for our country starts with our children,” said Cindy Long, USDA’s deputy under secretary for food, nutrition and consumer services, in a statement. “We are excited to build on these successful collaborations that connect schools and emergency food organizations with nutritious food from local farmers and producers by expanding the model to child care facilities for the first time. Families can feel good knowing their kids are eating food that was grown right in their own community.”

In addition to helping school nutrition programs go local, the funding will also help K-12 operators as they continue to battle rising costs. 

According to a school nutrition director survey conducted by the School Nutrition Association last fall and released earlier this year, 99.3% of respondents said they are challenged by rising costs and only 17% said that the federal reimbursement rate is sufficient to cover the cost of producing a school lunch.