Farm-to-school programs serve locally or regionally produced foods (two common definitions being foods produced within 50 miles or within the State) in school meals in many school districts. According to the USDA’S Farm to School Census, 35% of U.S. school districts reported serving local food in school meals during the 2011-12 school year. About 19% of school districts, containing 30% of American school children, served at least one locally sourced food item daily. Milk, fruit, and vegetables were the most frequently served locally produced foods. USDA’s analysis revealed that districts in the Northeast were 28 percentage points more likely to serve local foods daily than those in the Southwest; districts in cities were 11 percentage points more likely than those in rural areas to do so; and districts with 5,000 or more students were 9 percentage points more likely to do so compared to districts with under 5,000 students. Serving local foods daily in school cafeterias was also more common in states with more legislated policies supporting farm-to-school programs.
Source: USDA, 5/1/17, Farm-to-School
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