Purchase local food targetingpurchases from small businesses and socially disadvantaged farmers andranchers, for distribution to schools

As a recipient of local food forschools funding, we aim to increase the nutrition profile of schoolmeals, decrease the production costs of school meals for schoolsparticipating in the national school lunch program, through the purchaseof washington grown, raised and harvested foods. Office ofsuperintendent of public instruction will purchase washington grownagricultural products through distributors, farmers, ranchers, andfishers, to distribute to schools participating in the national schoollunch program. Priority will go to socially disadvantaged producers aswell as distributors who identify as or source from sociallydisadvantaged producers. Office of superintendent of public instructionwill procure dry and frozen foods predetermined to be desirable byschools and available locally, including frozen fruits, vegetables, beef, and fish, as well as whole grain flours, dried pulses, andlegumes. Quarterly performance reports will be submitted to capture thenumber of producers, small businesses and socially disadvantaged farmersand producers, dollar value of purchases, and type of food purchased.annual reports will provide percentages of new marketing opportunitiesestablished by purchasing from local and regional farmers and producers, socially disadvantaged farmers and producers, and small businesses.project beneficiaries include washington school aged children and socially disadvantaged farmers, ranchers and producers and small businesses. We expect that all school food authorities participating innational school lunch program will order and receive local food forschools foods creating access for all school age children in thenational school lunch program in our state. Office of superintendent ofpublic instruction will target procurement of foods from a minimum OF100 washington producers throughout the 18-month local food for schoolsfunding period. School food authorities, currently receiving cash inlieu of the food distribution program, will be sub awarded their localfood for schools allocation allowing them to contract directly withvendors through the current farm to school purchasing grant process. Therecipient plans to subaward funds to inland empire distribution systemsincorporated, and additional vendors, suppliers, farmers, producers andranchers through a request for proposals.