New USDA Child Nutrition Program Rules Support Farm-To-School Programs

The USDA has begun implementing final child nutrition program rules that encourage use of local farm products in school meals. The new rules allow schools to give preference to unprocessed locally grown and locally raised agricultural products as they purchase food for the National School Lunch, School Breakfast, Special Milk, Child and Adult Care, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable, and Summer Food Service programs. A key provision of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, the rules aim to strengthen farm-to-school programs across the country. The rule supports the agency's “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” initiative that stresses the need for a reconnection between producers and consumers.