The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service established the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS) with funding made available through the USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation. 

The USDA is helping states deal with the challenges of supply chain disruptions brought on by the pandemic. Through the LFS program, the USDA will award up to $200 million to states for food assistance purchases of domestic local foods for distribution to schools. 

The program is meant to strengthen the food system for schools by helping to build a fair, competitive, and resilient local food chain, and expand local and regional markets with an emphasis on purchasing from historically underserved producers and processors.

The Minnesota Farm to School program has grants available to schools to start their Farm to School program and to continue the program with a reimbursement for food grown in Minnesota. Schools are provided with resources for sourcing foods from local farmers. Minnewaska Area Schools is one of them. 

Minnewaska Area Schools and Glacial Hills Elementary have several goals that align with this, and some have taken advantage of the collaboration already.

“The new bulk milk dispensers are a tremendous collaboration between MAS, the Midwest Dairy Association and local farmers who helped us connect resources and develop a network. We are excited to offer better tasting (fresh and cold) milk, reduce waste and welcome partnership with our local dairy farmers,” said MAS Superintendent Chip Rankin. 

Under the Biden administration, the USDA distributed $1.5 billion to states and school districts to strengthen school meal programs. The funding, announced in December 2021, was created to help provide the nation’s kids with nutritious food and was made available through the USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation, it was stated in a news release. It has provided $1 billion for schools to purchase food for their meal programs, $300 million for states to purchase foods to distribute to schools directly and an additional $200 million to be used for cooperative agreements to purchase local and regional foods for schools with a focus on buying from historically underserved producers. 

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said, “USDA’s school meal programs have a wide-reaching impact on the health and well-being of our nation’s children. Now, more than ever, America’s children need access to healthy and nutritious foods and our school nutrition professionals play a huge role in making that happen. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, school districts have met extraordinary challenges to ensure that every child has the food needed to learn, grow and thrive. The food and funds the USDA is distributing will help ensure schools have the resources they need to continue to serve our nation’s schoolchildren quality food they can depend on, all while building a stronger, fairer and more competitive food system.” States were eligible to apply for the $200 million for the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program. 

“This program is another example of how USDA is working to build a more resilient food system rooted in local and regional production where small can compete against big because a greater share of the profit will go to those growing, harvesting and preparing our food,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “As we build more and better markets, the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program will provide an opportunity for states to strengthen local and regional food system by increasing links between local farmers, ranchers and food businesses with schools. It also gives students access to the local, nutritious foods unique to the area they live in, building stronger connections across local communities,” said Vilsack.

In the state of Minnesota, the Farm to School program has been thriving for several years. In 2006 a reported 18 school districts participated in the program and by 2014 that number multiplied by almost fifteen to 268 districts. According to USDA Farm to School Census data, schools that responded reported spending 13 percent of their budgets on local projects, with a total of $12 million invested in the Minnesota economy through purchasing local foods.

Just this week, the state has signed a nearly $3.5 million cooperative agreement with the USDA Ag Marketing Service to increase their purchase of nutritious, local foods for school meal programs. Minnesota is the first state to enter into a cooperative agreement under the program.

Through the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS), the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) will purchase and distribute local and regional foods and beverages for schools to serve children through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. These products will be healthy and unique to their geographic area, with the goal of improving child nutrition and building new relationships between schools and local farmers.

With this funding, MDA expects to increase the number of Minnesota schools engaging in local food procurement, increase the amount of local food purchased by schools, and create new partnerships between schools and Minnesota food producers; specifically underserved farms and small businesses. Funds will be sub-awarded to schools through a competitive Farm to School grant program that will reimburse schools for local food purchases.

“This cooperative agreement will build on the strong foundation we’ve laid in Minnesota with a growing network of partners in our Farm to School efforts,” Minnesota Commissioner of Agriculture Thom Petersen said. “More Minnesota schools will have access to reimbursement grants to support local purchasing, which will strengthen our state’s local and regional markets, support small and emerging farmers and ensure our kids are eating the freshest, most nutritious food our state can offer.”