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.
