Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Resource | Technical Assistance & Guidance Procuring Local Foods

The resources on this page will help ensure child nutrition program operators have the resources and knowledge necessary to incorporate local foods into their day-to-day operations. 

10/30/2023
Resource | Technical Assistance & Guidance Farm to School Resources

Find resources to implement, sustain and maintain your farm to school program. 

10/30/2023
Resource | Fact Sheets Farm to School Fact Sheets

Factsheets are available under the following topics: Farm to School Grant Program, Farm to School Program Resources, Local Food Resources, School Gardens, Farm to School in Tribal Communities, Food Safety, Producers, Farm to Preschool. Farm to Summer, State Agencies and Cooperative Extensions, En Español.

08/29/2023
Resource | Fact Sheets The Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program

The USDA awards grants annually to help connect students to the sources of their food through education, taste tests, school gardens, field trips, and local food sourcing for school meals. This fact sheet gives an overview of the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program and highlights Farm to School grantee projects.

 

FNS-893
03/06/2023
Resource | Fact Sheets Local Meat in Schools

This factsheet gives examples, tips, and information for putting local meat on school menus.  

909
03/06/2023
Resource | Fact Sheets USDA Foods: A Resource for Maximizing Food Budgets To Buy Local

This factsheet explains how USDA Foods support the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the school meal pattern requirements to make it easier for schools to prepare healthy meals using local foods.

907
03/06/2023
Resource | Fact Sheets USDA DoD Fresh Program: A Source for Locally Grown Produce

This fact sheet provides information on how to use USDA DoD Fresh to purchase local produce.

906
03/06/2023
Resource | Fact Sheets Local Procurement Decision Tree

This fact sheet features the various paths a school can take to bring local foods into the cafeteria with your next food purchase. 

FNS-854
11/02/2022
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2016-0051 Ensuring Year-long Eligibility in the School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs

The purpose of this memorandum is to strongly encourage local educational agencies to accept eligibility determinations from a transferring student’s former LEA to minimize disruptions in meal benefits for low-income students and avoid student debt resulting from unpaid meal charges.

SP51-2016
08/05/2016
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2016-0045 Unpaid Meal Charges: Local Meal Charge Policies

The purpose of this memorandum is to address the need for school food authorities participating in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program to institute and clearly communicate a meal charge policy, which would include, if applicable, the availability of alternate meals.

SP46-2016
07/08/2016
Page updated: October 14, 2021