The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service has signed a $3,458,752 cooperative agreement with Minnesota to increase the state’s purchases of local foods for use in school meals.
The agreement is part of the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program. Minnesota is the first state to sign a cooperative agreement under the program.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture says the funds will allow schools in the state to engage with local suppliers, especially those that are small businesses or small farms, and increase the amount of local food purchases.
Funds will be awarded to schools through a farm-to-school grant program that will reimburse schools for their local purchases.
This is one of the latest ways the USDA is promoting local procurement in schools. Earlier this summer, it awarded over $10 million in grant funding to support farm-to-school programs across the country. In June, it also announced it was investing $60 million in farm-to-school commodity purchasing and $100 million to create a new healthy food incentive fund.