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

The local alaskan food for schools grant will be distributed by subgrant to all school food authorities approved to participate in the national school lunch program in alaska. The distribution will be based on school year 2022 district enrollment rates. Conditions of grant award will specify priority purchasing with small businesses and socially disadvantaged businesses. These priorities will be assessed from first distribution of subgrants and applied to the second distribution. 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. We anticipate 84 percent of school food authorities to participate in this program. These school food authorities represent meals served to approximately 70,000 students in alaska. Conservatively, we anticipate at least 30 unique vendors to be procured by school food authorities for this grant. The growers and producers in alaska will represent a vast cross-section of the economy to include fisheries, meat, vegetables, eggs, dairy, barley, and more. The recipient plans to subaward funds to school food authorities.