What’s for lunch?
For millions of school students, the answer may be fresh lettuce and tomatoes, apples and carrots grown by nearby farmers, or, in a few states, fresh lamb or haddock, raised or caught locally.
Local foods, once rare on school lunch trays, are gradually becoming more available in school cafeterias as states promote fresh produce, legumes, meats and fish.
Farm-to-school programs aim to improve the quality of school lunches and educate students about nutrition and where their food comes from. Programs also provide new markets for growers, which can strengthen local economies. Nearly all states have a farm-to-school program, but at least 10 states enacted laws this year or last boosting theirs, though some measures faced opposition over increased food costs.
When restaurants closed during the pandemic, small farmers, ranchers and fishermen found farm-to-school programs a lifeline.
“COVID hit us pretty hard. It was a major setback,” said Phil Raymond, a first-generation farmer who grows artisan lettuces, microgreens and herbs in Okemos, Michigan. His regular customers, including restaurants, country clubs and caterers, cut back or stopped ordering altogether.
Raymond had never thought of selling to schools. But after connecting with a state farm-to-school program, he now delivers weekly four-variety, mixed-case lettuce to four or five school districts in his county.
In addition to Michigan, states that passed legislation this year or in 2021 to expand farm-to-school programs include California, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Nebraska, Vermont, Virginia and Wyoming, according to the National Farm to School Network.
Hawaii’s new law requires public schools and other state institutions to spend at least 10% of their food dollars locally by 2025, with increases up to at least 50% by 2050.
In California, the governor recently signed the Buy American Food Act, which requires certain schools to buy American foods unless they are at least 25% higher in price than imports.
Around the country, farm-to-school programs face several hurdles, including potentially higher food costs, shortages of staff to prepare the local foods and sometimes a lack of available farmers.
In California, for instance, state education groups opposed the legislation, saying it would lead to price gouging and unaffordable, increased costs for school districts.
While studies have not conclusively shown improved academic achievement or increased fruit and vegetable consumption, research has shown students are more likely to try new foods in a farm-to-school setting.
An added benefit of farm-to-school programs for school food services is reliability.
“We’ve really seen great strides with the program. Especially with supply chain issues, schools that have a relationship with local growers are having an easier time getting their groceries,” said Wendy Crowley, the Farm to School Program consultant for the Michigan Department of Education.
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