Posted July 23, 2014
Agriculture Undersecretary Kevin Concannon announced the release of a Request for Applications from states interested in participating in the Pilot Project for Procurement of Unprocessed Fruits and Vegetables authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill, according to a press release. Insurance news also published the release here.
As part of the pilot, up to eight states across five regions will be granted flexibility in using a portion of their U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foods entitlement dollars to purchase locally-grown unprocessed fruits and vegetables for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).
“Allowing pilot states to pursue procurement of local fruits and vegetables with their USDA Foods’ dollars provides added flexibility,” Concannon said. “It offers states an additional opportunity to bolster local farm economies while providing the children who participate in our school meals programs with healthy food from within their own communities.”
When schools invest in local communities, it benefits all aspects of agriculture, including local farmers, ranchers, fishermen, food processors and manufacturers. According to USDA’s first-ever Farm to School Census, in school year 2011-2012, schools participating in farm to school activities purchased and served more than $385 million worth of local food, with more than half of participating schools planning to purchase more local foods in future school years.
The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) will conduct conference calls in August and September to answer questions and provide technical assistance with the application process. Interested and eligible parties must submit an application by Sept. 30, 2014 to be eligible for selection beginning in school year 2014-2015.
For a copy of the application and more information about the pilot, please visit FNS’s website here.
For more information on nutrition programs, please visit the National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
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