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

Nebraska department of education will allocate funds to schools for the purchase of unprocessed or minimally processed foods from local, small business producers; provide technical assistance to schools and producers, including resources, training, and networking events; leverage recent developments including the nebraska farm to school program act, local food purchase assistance program, and 2022 united states department of agriculture farm to school grant initiatives to target socially disadvantaged producers. This project will pave a way toward a thriving, resilient farm to school infrastructure. Nebraska department of education will actively engage existing partners and foster new partnerships to broaden connections and relationships farmers and producers have with nebraska schools. This provision of support is intended to facilitate the development of a thriving regional local food activity center, wherein socially disadvantaged and small business producers have expanded opportunities, local suppliers and buyers are empowered to collaborate, and supply aligns with demand effectively and equitably. This nebraska department of education led project will simultaneously increase local food purchases by schools and expand opportunities for local, small business, and socially disadvantaged producers. 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. In conjunction with funds schools will also receive support via resources and events that assist with making the school and producer connection and grow in understanding about successfully purchasing from local small business and socially disadvantaged producers. For the scope of this foundational project, we estimate that 75 nebraska small business food producers will receive a direct benefit, which aligns with the plans for local food purchase assistance program, and this includes eight socially disadvantaged producers (using the 11% statewide rate). The recipient plans to subaward funds to individual national school lunch program-participating school districts located in the southeastern and metropolitan state regions.