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.
The purpose of this memorandum is to amend guidance provided in SP 45-2016 Draft Tool for Local Agency Procurement Reviews for School Food Authorities in SY 2016-17 and to clarify FNS expectations for state agency oversight of school food authority procurement procedures.
In 2014, the USDA Farm to School Program hosted a 12-part webinar series to showcase the variety of ways school districts can purchase local foods. The series starts with an introduction to basic procurement principles, and then walks participants through strategies and tactics for buying local foods.
In this webinar, the first of the series, Christina Conell and Maggie Gosselin from USDA's Food and Nutrition Service, covered basic procurement fundamentals relevant to the federal child nutrition programs. Topics include informal and formal procurement methods and maintaining competition.
In this webinar, the fourth in the series, Christina Conell from USDA's Food and Nutrition Service discusses how schools can purchase local products using the informal method. It can be as easy as schools contacting three (or more!) local producers for price quotes. This session showcases stories and tips from Union Public Schools in Oklahoma and Kalispell Public Schools in Montana.
This memorandum provides information on the updated template Local Agency Procurement Review Tool for state agencies to use, modify or develop in SY 2019-2020.
On Oct. 6, 2016, FNS issued a memorandum to provide information on the revised Draft Local Agency Procurement Review Tool. While the concepts of the tool remain the same, the revision provides clarity, improves functionality, and expands instructions for school food authorities and state agencies.
This fact sheet features the various paths a school can take to bring local foods into the cafeteria with your next food purchase.
The purpose of this memo is to introduce the Food and Nutrition Service Draft Local Agency Procurement Review Tool which may assist state agencies in conducting adequate procurement oversight of school food authority procurement procedures in SY 2016-17.
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide guidance on the incorporation of local foods and agriculture-based curriculum in early childhood education and care settings, clarifies policies in the recently published FNS Instruction relevant to local food production and procurement, and includes questions and answers regarding procuring local food for use in the CACFP.