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Farm to School Act introduced in Senate, provides programs and local food systems

A bipartisan group of Senators has introduced the Farm to School Act to support child nutrition programs and food systems that are rebuilding following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Karen Spangler is the policy director for the National Farm to School Network. “This is the perfect time to be investing in direct farm-to-school procurement and aggregation for kids. Our schools have done so much work over the last year to try and pivot and to meet needs both educations and food nutrition professionals,” she says.

She tells Brownfield the bill expands the USDA Farm to School Grant Program and provides more opportunity and funding for farmers, helps ensure local foods for school meals, and creates more ag-centered activities. “It can help build capacity for direct or local or regional aggregation of farm products so that producers are getting some these market opportunities for school food procurement and that kind of purchasing that otherwise schools wouldn’t have capacity to try and participate in those opportunities,” she said.

She says the program is aimed at serving diverse and high-need student populations as well as engaging with veteran and socially disadvantaged farmers.

The legislation is sponsored by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Susan Collins (R-ME), would expand funding for the USDA Farm to School Grant program while ensuring food equity among disadvantaged student populations and engaging with farmers.  

Companion legislation was introduced in the House by Representatives Stacey Plaskett (D-VI), Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) and Alma Adams (D-NC) in March.