The average material prices are listed by school year and used by processors participating in the USDA Foods processing program.
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.
This fact sheet outlines a number of additional resources for those seeking to directly purchase or raise food products for school nutrition programs.
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.
This factsheet gives examples, tips, and information for putting local meat on school menus.
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.
This fact sheet provides information on how to use USDA DoD Fresh to purchase local produce.
This fact sheet features the various paths a school can take to bring local foods into the cafeteria with your next food purchase.
The Department of Defense Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program allows schools to use their USDA Foods entitlement dollars to buy fresh produce. The program, operated by DoD’s Defense Logistics Agency, began in SY 1994-95 as a pilot in eight states. As of 2013, schools in 46 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam participate; schools are anticipated to receive more than $100 million worth of produce through the program during SY 2012-13.