Advocates supportive of Legislation that would increase the amount of Local Food in Schools Speak Out at Stonewall Farm Event

PRESS RELEASE
1/12/21

For immediate release
Contact:
Roe-Ann Tasoulas
Director
coordinator@mfccoalition.org
(c) (603) 852-3198

Monadnock Farm & Community Coalition

Join farmers, educators, and bill sponsors as they come together to advocate on behalf of legislation that would increase local food in schools on Friday, January 21, 2021, from 12:00 to 1:00 PM at Stonewall Farm in Keene. House Bill 1657, or “Local Food for Local Schools Reimbursement Bill” aims to increase the amount of New Hampshire-grown food that’s served in public schools. 

This bipartisan effort sets a statewide target that 10 percent of the food served in schools will be grown in the state. 

According to Rep. Alexis Simpson, an Exeter Democrat, and bill co-sponsor, “Under the proposal, schools that purchase local food would be eligible for reimbursement from federal nutrition funding. We want to increase the number of schools that can spend money on local food, as well as the total amount of money spent in the New Hampshire agricultural economy."

The reimbursement program will incentivize NH school districts and food service directors to purchase locally grown and produced food for breakfast and lunch services in cafeterias, boosting youth health and wellness and agricultural viability. 

“The Bill will annually channel $1.8 million in federal and state funds directly into our farm and food economy, supporting local farmers and producers which, in turn, will support our local economies,” adds Roe-Ann Tasoulas, director of the Monadnock Farm and Community Coalition. “And our school children will enjoy the benefit of eating even more healthy, locally produced food at cafeteria meals – it’s a major win-win for everyone."

In addition to federal funding, the program would also require some state investment in a software program the Department of Education would use to administer the program.

Fresh milk and cookies will be served at the event. 

To email your legislators in support of House Bill 1657, go to https://nhhungersolutions.org/advocacy

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The Monadnock Farm and Community Coalition is a coalition of 140+ member organizations and individual members who come together regularly to build a robust, sustainable, and equitable local food system in the Monadnock Region of Southwestern NH.

New Hampshire Farm to School Network is made up of interested Farm to School players from all regions, and across sectors including educators, food service, and procurement. The network will strengthen the ability of Farm to School programs around NH to collaborate on key issues like funding, finding resources and tools, sharing contacts, and brainstorming.

The Lunch Monitor: Vermont’s New Local Purchasing Incentive

We are thrilled to highlight the new Local Purchasing Incentive, which passed into law in Vermont this past spring. This exciting new grant program available through the Vermont Agency of Education incentivizes schools to buy more foods grown or produced in Vermont. Offering a reimbursement of 15 cents per lunch served during the 2020-2021 school year and up to 25 cents per lunch served in subsequent years, this grant has the potential to transform school lunch in great ways by getting more fresh, local food into the lunch program while supporting the Vermont agricultural and food production economy.

Linked here is an FAQ Food Connects has put together about the new program. This FAQ is not an official Agency of Education policy. Still, it is a tool that Food Connects created to help schools begin to strategize about this while the AOE works out how to implement the program in the coming months.

We are working closely with school nutrition directors and administrators on this. Please reach out to farmtoschool@foodconnects.org if you would like to learn more!

Getting Ready for Local: VT Workshops Bring Together School Nutrition Professionals and Farmers

Apple orchards, sweet potato fields, and diversified farms. School nutrition professionals gathered on farms across the state this past August; for many, it was the first time seeing their colleagues from other schools since the start of the pandemic.

Jointly hosted by Food Connects, VT FEED, and the School Nutrition Association of Vermont, these workshops were a time for school nutrition professionals to connect with farmers, think about local purchasing, and the opportunities of a new state bill that incentivizes buying Vermont products for their programs. In addition to touring the host farm, participants prepared a menu item that featured local products from the farm and met the school lunch meal pattern guidelines. There was also plenty of time for everyone to share stories from the past year and hear about what’s been working and what hasn’t been. 

“The past 18 months have been especially hard on school nutrition professionals,” says Helen Rortvedt, Farm to School Program Director for NOFA-VT & VT FEED. “Working from home was never an option for them, and the need for healthy meals has only increased. It’s vitally important to have the time to come together, share best practices, and plan for restoring or expanding their local purchasing plans for the coming school year with colleagues.”

Made possible by a 2020 USDA Farm to School Implementation grant, participants got an inside look into the operations and hurdles local farmers contend with and discussed ways to get more of their products into school meals. A common theme throughout each of the workshops was the similarities between both professions in regards to the constant logistical details they had to consider—what’s the best packaging option for food, the constant battle for cold storage space, and how do you get your food to consumers (whether that be customers or students). 

At the forefront of everyone’s minds was the local purchasing incentive recently passed by the Vermont legislature. Schools have incredibly low budgets for food (under $1.50 per meal), making it difficult for them to buy high-quality, locally produced foods. This new grant will help by reimbursing schools that use local ingredients in their meals. Given how new the program is, everyone has questions about what implementation will look like. 

Food Connects is a natural partner for schools looking to increase local purchasing. The Farm to School Program works with school nutrition professionals, educators, and administrators to increase nutrition and farming education in classrooms, building interest in and demand for local foods by students. Once the demand is there, the Food Hub can deliver food from over 150 producers right to the school, providing schools an easy and affordable way to participate in the local food system.