USDA Food and Nutrition Service Farm To School

1. USDA Food and Nutrition Service Farm To School USDA Food and Nutrition Service Southwest Region Farm to School

2. USDA • Food and Nutrition Service • Farm To School What is USDA's Involvement in Farm to School? USDA recognizes the growing interest among school districts and communities to incorporate regionally and locally produced farm foods into the school nutrition programs. USDA is supporting Farm to School efforts through a number of initiatives, and continues to look for ways to help facilitate this important connection. Recently, USDA established "Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food," an initiative which focuses on the importance of understanding where our food comes from and how it gets to our plate. In response to the growing demand for Farm to School activities, the "USDA Farm to School Team" was developed out of the "Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food" Initiative.

3. USDA • Food and Nutrition Service • Farm To School What is the Farm to School Initiative? • The Farm to School initiative is an effort to connect schools (K - 12) with regional or local farms in order to serve healthy meals using locally produced foods. Farm to School activities may vary from community to community depending upon demographics; however, the basic goals remain the same: • To meet the diverse needs of school nutrition programs in an efficient manner. • To support regional and local farmers and thereby strengthen local food systems. • To provide support for health and nutrition education.

4. USDA • Food and Nutrition Service • Farm To School Who is the FNS Farm to School Team? • The USDA Farm to School Team is comprised of both Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) and Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) staff members, and was created to support local and regional food systems by facilitating alliances between schools and their local food producers. • Working with local and state authorities, school districts, farmers, and community partners, the Farm to School Team provides guidance to and develops mechanisms for: • Assisting schools in accessing local markets. • Enabling food producers to effectively service their local schools. • Facilitating communication between interested stakeholders.

5. USDA • Food and Nutrition Service • Farm To School Long-term goals of the Farm to School Team include: • Providing access to resources and information for beginning and maintaining Farm to School activities for schools, farmers, and local community members. • Providing technical assistance to assist schools and farmers in the development, progression, and/or sustainability of Farm to School activities. • Identifying obstacles faced by schools and farmers in implementing and/or sustaining Farm to School activities • and suggesting solutions.

6. USDA • Food and Nutrition Service • Farm To School Farm to School Site Visits • The Farm to School Team conducted visits in 2010 to 15 schools in nine areas that represent varied demographics and characteristics. During these site visits, the team sought to learn about a school district's Farm to School efforts including, but not limited to: • How the activities first began, the relationship between growers/distributors and the school district; • What obstacles exist or were faced along the way, and • the effects the activities have had on the school and the community.

7. USDA • Food and Nutrition Service • Farm To School • The Team visited nine sites that offered the following: • Regional representation of the Nation. • Rural, urban, suburban, tribal schools. • Large and small school districts. • Operating as: self-operated, vended or contract with a Food Service Management Company. • Various distribution models (e.g., direct purchasing from farmers, purchasing from farmer cooperatives or farmers' markets, purchasing through buying cooperatives or food service management companies). • Representing different stages of Farm to School implementation. • Practice new or innovative ideas of incorporating Farm to School activities.

8. USDA • Food and Nutrition Service • Farm To School Challenges faced by schools: • Funding • Most School Food Service operations receive no County tax $’s. • Procurement Rules • Free and Open Competition. • Ensure Federal funds, when used to purchase products or services, result in the best and most responsive product at the lowest possible price. • Informal and Formal procurement procedures. • Geographic Preference.

9. USDA • Food and Nutrition Service • Farm To School Challenges faced by schools: (Con’t) • Volume of product • Average # Meals served in TX = 3,107,832 per day. • Average # Meals served in TX Counties = 12,236 per day. • (August 2011) • Logistics of receiving/storing product. • Channels for school to purchase local foods. • Direct from Farmer • Farmer Cooperative • Farmers’ Market • Wholesaler • SFA Buying Cooperative

10. USDA • Food and Nutrition Service • Farm To School How to connect with schools • Familiarize yourself with the potential customer. • Call the TX Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition. • Contact schools within your deliverable area. • Contact local extension office. • Contact the National Farm to School Network.

11. USDA • Food and Nutrition Service • Farm To School When selling to schools… • Consider pooling resources with other farmers to increase delivery and efficiency. • Be cognizant of different packing specifications that schools are used to. • Be aware of size requirements for schools. • Be aware of “language” barrier: • Crates /Bushels/Baskets/Pecks • vs • Servings/Meals/Cases

13. USDA Food and Nutrition Service Websites of Interest: USDA, FNS Website: http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/ FNS, Farm to School Website: http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/F2S/Default.htm FNS, Farm to School Team website: http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/F2S/f2stacticalteam.htm USDA, Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Website: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/knowyourfarmer?navid=KNOWYOURFARMER USDA Food and Nutrition Service Southwest Region Farm to School Farm To School USDA Food and Nutrition Service Southwest Region 1100 Commerce St. RM 522 Dallas, TX 75242 Jo Ann Slack, SWRO Farm to School Coordinator (214) 290-9901 JoAnn.Slack@fns.usda.gov