Purchase local food targeting purchases from small businesses and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, for distribution to schools

Vermont intends to use its local food for schools cooperative agreement allocation to support school food authorities in purchasing local food from vermont's network of non-profit food hubs. Vermont's non-profit food hubs work collaboratively to aggregate locally grown and produced products from vermont producers and distribute those products throughout the state and region. This opportunity will help the food hubs both strengthen existing relationships and foster new ones with schools who have yet to utilize food hubs. Local food for schools funds will be divided equally among vermont school food authorities using a formula based on student enrollment. Each school food authority will be paired with a food hub in their region and the value of their allotment will be provided to them in the form of credit at their assigned food hub. Food hub sales staff will work with each school food authorities to help them navigate the procurement process, ensuring each school can easily utilize their allotted funds and can readily identify those products produced by socially disadvantaged farmers. Food hubs, which have the ability to source identify all the products they carry, will provide detailed reporting demonstrating the impact of local food for schools funds on the producers they support, including how many socially disadvantaged producers benefit and how many small businesses. Quarterly performance reports will be submitted to capture the number of producers, small businesses and socially disadvantaged farmers and producers, dollar value of purchases, and type of food purchased. Annual reports will provide percentages of new marketing opportunities established by purchasing from local and regional farmers and producers, socially disadvantaged farmers and producers, and small businesses. This project has the potential to impact 101 vermont food producers, 100 of which are small businesses and 45 can be classified as socially disadvantaged. These producers are growing, raising or producing products that schools regularly purchase for their meal programs. By distributing funds equally based on enrollment numbers, we hope to get locally grown and raised food in front of as many vermont students as possible. The recipient plans to subaward funds to vermont food hubs.