The Farm to School Census

In 2010, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA) formally established the Farm to School Program within USDA in order to assist eligible entities, through grants and technical assistance, in implementing farm to school initiatives that improve access to local foods in eligible schools.

In order to establish realistic goals with regard to “increasing the availability of local foods in eligible schools,” in March 2013 USDA will conduct a first of its kind nationwide census, surveying over 13,000 school districts to determine how many schools currently purchase local foods. The Farm to School Census will prioritize gathering procurement data related to local sourcing, with documentation of additional farm to school activities (e.g. the prevalence of school gardens, promotional activities, and curriculum integration, etc.) as a secondary objective. Procurement data will include the types and frequency of local products purchased, the percentage of overall food budget spent on local foods, and the degree to which local purchasing is expected to increase, stay the same, or decrease.

Why does USDA need this information?
To make efficient use of funds allocated for assisting SFAs in developing farm to school activities, USDA requires data to help identify priorities for the types of assistance that are most needed and most cost-effective.

How will the data be used?
Data from the Farm to School Census will be used by USDA’s Farm to School Program to develop a baseline assessment of the prevalence, geographic distribution, and characteristics of farm to school programs in order to set priorities for USDA outreach and technical support. Three data products are planned for this purpose:

• A web-based map of all responding school districts will demonstrate areas accessing locally produced foods through the school meal programs, which will be categorized by percent of total school food expenditures that are sourced locally;
• Estimates of state-level prevalence of purchasing locally produced foods for school meal programs; and
• Estimates of state-level profiles of local purchasing programs, i.e., the proportion of districts operating a given method of purchasing local products and operating various farm to school efforts, including:
• Farm to school activities targeted at specific age groups or grade levels;
• Farm to school programs that adhere to an agreed upon definition of “local” as it relates to food procurement;
• Various supply channels for procuring local foods;
• Locally sourced items, categorized by food type, and future plans for sourcing locally;
• Top five locally sourced food items, determined by value; o Frequency of offering locally sourced foods; and,
• Challenges in procuring local products.

Who is being asked to complete the Census?
Food service directors from all public school district school food authorities (SFAs) are being asked to complete the Census. Only school food service directors should complete the Census, and only one response per SFA is required. Please do not submit responses for individual schools.

How will the data be collected?
The Farm to School Census is being conducted via SurveyMonkey. For a link to the survey, please contact the Farm to School Census Help Line at (888) 633-8345 or email farmtoschool@mathematica-mpr.com.

What if respondents are not able to complete the Census online?
A printable, fax-back version of the Census is available. To obtain one, call the Farm to School Census Help Line at (888) 633-8345 or email farmtoschool@mathematica-mpr.com.

Having trouble or need help?
If you need assistance, call the Farm to School Census Help Line at (888) 633-8345 or email farmtoschool@mathematica-mpr.com.

What if SFAs do not buy any locally-produced food?
USDA needs responses from all contacted food service directors in order to accurately estimate the percentage of school districts procuring locally produced foods. School districts not buying locally produced foods will not need to continue beyond the first question, which asks if SFAs are buying locally produced foods. It is very important for all SFAs to complete and return the Census to USDA, regardless of the level of local purchasing.

What about charter schools and charter school districts?
If a school district is a charter school district, made up of all charter schools, and the district participates in the National School Lunch Program as an SFA, USDA needs responses from the food service director of that district. Individual charter schools are not asked to complete the Census.

Does the Census include questions about individual schools?
Yes, the Census includes a section for SFAs to share information about farm to school activities in individual schools, as needed.

Are records necessary to complete the Census?
While not required, if the information is available, it will be helpful to have detailed records of food purchases from 2011-2012 on hand. The Census asks for the total value of food purchases from 2011-2012, and the percent of purchases that were locally produced, with and without fluid milk. Those without access to this information may provide estimation.

What counts as local?
Different SFAs use different definitions of “local.” The Census asks respondents to indicate their definition of local, if any, and to use their definition throughout the Census.

How long does the Census take?
An average of 20 minutes.

Are responses confidential?
No. USDA intends for some of the responses to be made public, and therefore the information we collect is not covered by the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002. USDA will treat all information gathered in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552). The Census does not include any personal information or compliance-related information.
 

Last modified: 04/04/2013