USDA: R.I. has greatest percentage of school districts participating in farm-to-school meal programs

RHODE ISLAND has the greatest percentage of school districts nationwide participating in farm to school meal programs, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. / COURTESY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
RHODE ISLAND has the greatest percentage of school districts nationwide participating in farm to school meal programs, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. / COURTESY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released data showing Rhode Island has the greatest percentage of school districts nationwide participating in farm-to-school meal programs.
“Rhode Island’s leading the pack,” USDA Undersecretary Kevin Concannon told Providence Business News. “That’s great to see.”
At 90 percent, the state leads New England and the country for participation in the 2014-2015 school year. Rhode Island also led the country in 2013-2014 in directing the greatest percentage – 37 percent – of its food budget to local foods. It was ranked 10th in the country that year for spending, at $20.2 million. California was ranked first in spending at $167.6 million, according to the data, which can be found at farmtoschoolcensus.fns.usda.gov/find-your-school-district.
West warwick, Woonsocket and Westerly school districts beat the state average with regard to the percent of their food budgets spent locally.
“We know students tend to consume more of the food when they know it’s grown locally,” said Concannon. “We love that first and foremost for the nutrition side, but we also love that these dollars are going back into the local economy, and that’s a win for the farmers and for the schools themselves.”
Census data indicate that nationwide, schools purchased $789 million in local food from farmers, ranchers, fishermen, food processors and manufacturers in school year 2013-2014. This represents a 105 percent increase over 2011-2012 when the first USDA farm-to-school census was conducted.
Farm to School is part of the Office of Community Food Systems and is one of many initiatives of USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service aimed at improving the health of the next generation. USDA conducted the first nationwide Farm to School Census in 2013. USDA conducted a second Farm to School Census in 2015 to measure progress towards reaching this goal.
“We encourage [farm to school programming] by promoting the effort with schools and put out grants to stimulate it,” Concannon said. “And we’ve simplified the federal procurement regulations that govern school meals because we’re the principal source of paying for those meals.”
In Rhode Island, 74,000 consume school lunches and 32,000 eat breakfast, Concannon added.
“Those numbers have been going up,” he noted. “We’re very encouraged by that. Particularly younger students coming into the school system are being educated right from the get-go.”

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