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Procuring Local Foods

Please Note

As of Sept. 9, 2026, the Geographic Preference option in child nutrition program regulations were amended, with changes taking effect on Nov. 9, 2026. The new rule does not alter policy or implementation — it simply clarifies existing requirements to make the geographic preference option easier to understand and use across USDA's child nutrition programs. We are working to update the resources on this page to reflect the changes.

 

a line of cows in a field

Local foods are on the menu for students across the country. Beef and bison in Montana, cherries in Michigan, and radishes in Rhode Island are a few examples. Local procurement in school meals supports local farmers. Students are also encouraged to make healthier choices when provided locally grown options.

The resources on this page will help child nutrition program (CNP) operators buy local. Many of the resources speak to K-12 school program operators. However, the information still applies to child care providers and summer feeding sites.

Simplified Geographic Preference Procurement in CNPs

On Sept. 9, 2026, we published the direct final rule with comment period, Simplified Geographic Preference Procurement in Child Nutrition Programs effective Nov. 9, 2026. The rule does not change policy or implementation — it simply clarifies existing requirements to make the geographic preference option easier to understand and use across the federal child nutrition programs. This rule also supports USDA’s Harvest to Hallways Initiative to improve school meals and strengthen the connection between American agriculture and America’s children. Using geographic preference continues to be an optional and powerful method for procuring local foods for healthy program meals.

Relevant Resources

boxes of produce in a warehouse

Resources That Will be Updated

Note: These resources will be updated to include information on the simplified geographic preference option.

Documents in their current form provide information on using geographic preference through a scoring system, which is now referred to as a "defined scoring option." However, the content related to the prohibition of using local as a specification is no longer correct.

Fact Sheets

See more fact sheets

Procuring Local Foods for Child Nutrition Programs Guide

The USDA Procuring Local Foods for Child Nutrition Programs Guide provides an overview of federal procurement principles and covers a host of topics related to sourcing and purchasing local foods for state agencies and child nutrition program operators. This guide highlights the variety of ways schools can purchase local products while staying in accordance with federal procurement regulations. The guide features examples of how to target local foods when conducting both formal and informal procurements to use the geographic preference option, and use the USDA Foods and DoD Fresh Programs to enhance local purchasing.

Policy Memos & Regulations

Data and Statistics

screenshot of a national summary of the 2023 farm to school census infographic

We maintain the largest public national dataset on farm to school activity in the United States. The Farm to School Census (Census) is a periodic survey of all school food authorities (SFAs) active in the NSLP. Interested visitors can review Census responses to better understand the size and scope of farm to school activity at a national, state, and individual SFA level. Additional products to help interpret findings include:

Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program

USDA's Farm to School grants are an important way to help state, regional, and local organizations as they initiate, expand, and institutionalize farm to school efforts. More information is available on the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program webpage.

Hungry for more information?

Get more information and sign up for the Dirt, the e-letter from the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program.

The experienced USDA Farm to School team is here to help facilitate implementation of farm to school programming. Please contact your relevant office for additional help.

Page updated: September 09, 2026