Great news, advocates! National Farm to School Network is proud to endorse two new bipartisan bills that would strengthen markets for local farmers. We’ve worked alongside national partners and Congressional offices to propose a permanent grant program for state, territory, and Tribal governments to purchase local food for schools and community food programs. This legislation has bicameral support, meaning it has backing in both the Senate and the House.

  • In the Senate: Strengthening Local Food Security Act (S. 2338)
    Introduced by: Senators Jim Justice (R-WV) and Jack Reed (D-RI) 
    [Press release] | [Read the bill]
  • In the House of Representatives: Local Farmers Feeding Our Communities Act (H.R. 4782)
    Introduced by:     Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01), Rob Bresnahan (R-PA-08), Josh Riley (D-NY-19), and David Valadao (R-CA-22) alongside numerous cosponsors.
    [Press release] | [Read the bill]

What Do the Bills Do?

  • Create a permanent funding program: The bills establish non-competitive cooperative agreements between USDA and eligible entities (states, territories, and federally recognized Tribes), hereby referred to as “states” for simplicity.
  • Fund local food purchases: States can choose how to allocate the funds between organizations such as food banks, schools, or early childcare centers. “Local” can mean within 400 miles or another geographic boundary as designated by the state.
  • Allow up to 25% for administration and technical assistance (TA)
    • House version: Half of the 25% set aside (12.5% of total funding) must be used for TA.
    • Senate version: 35% of the 25% set aside (8.75% of total) must be used for TA.
    • Both versions: TA must support producers, including food safety training, certification, and other efforts to strengthen local agricultural value chains.‍
  • Prioritize Tribes and small states via the funding formula: 10% of funds are reserved for Tribal nations. Each state and territory receives 1% of the remaining funds, with the rest allocated using the Emergency Food Assistance Program formula.‍
  • Require values-aligned purchases: The goal of both bills is to strengthen local food systems and the programs aim to support values-aligned producers. The Senate version requires that at least 51% of funds be spent on small or mid-sized, beginning, veteran; and underserved (term not defined in the bill) fishers, farmers, or ranchers. The House version lowers this requirement to 25% and unfortunately does not include “underserved” producers.‍
  • Provide $400M in annual funding starting in 2026: USDA must use $200 million each year from the Commodity Credit Corporation, and Congress can provide an additional $200 million annually. Under the House bill, this funding is available from 2026 through 2030, while the Senate version authorizes funding through 2029. Any unspent funds can carry over until fully used.

What Happens Next?

These two bills are what are called “marker bills” in Congressional jargon –  proposals that offer policy solutions, iron out legal language or suggestions for tweaks, and show that there is strong support for these ideas. While a marker bill is unlikely to pass on its own, there are opportunities to incorporate popular marker bills into must-pass legislative packages, such as the currently overdue 2018 Farm Bill set to expire later this year. Immediate and widespread demand for a marker bill from constituents, and a critical mass of cosponsors from across the aisle, demonstrates that policymakers should keep this program top of mind for any legislative opportunities.

To build support, it will be important for policymakers to hear from many different types of farm to school and local food advocates – farmers, ranchers, school nutrition professionals, educators, parents, and others – so they know that local food purchasing isn’t just a niche priority. They also need to hear from local food advocates about the multiple ways that a more innovative program can increase the impact of federal child nutrition programs, while also supporting the producers and supply chains that generate economic impact for their state.

How Do I Get Involved? 

Right now, our top priority is adding cosponsors. We want to especially demonstrate strong bipartisan support, so if you have Republican elected officials, your outreach is particularly valuable!

Here are three ways to take action, from quickest to most involved:

  • Use our action alert.
    This is the fastest way to let your elected officials know you support these bills.
  • Send a personal message.
    Individual, heartfelt, and detailed messages from constituents often goes further than pre-written action alerts.
  • Set up an in-person or virtual meeting. 
    NFSN’s policy team can help connect you directly with congressional offices to share why these bills matter for farm to school. Email Karen@farmtoschool.org.‍
  • Host a site visit at your school or farm.
    Seeing farm to school in action is the most powerful way to show them how these bills will make a difference.

Keep Diving Into Policy Specifics

What Are Major Differences Between The Bills?

Our Analysis

Both bills are a huge step forward for supporting America’s local farmers, but there are a few areas we think could be strengthened.

What We Love:

  • Flexibility for States: The cooperative agreement model gives states the ability to design programs that meet their unique needs and innovate in response to local food system opportunities.
  • Funding for Administration and TA: Including dedicated funds for administration and TA will help ensure programs are successful and sustainable.
  • The Program is Permanent: Permanency allows farmers, food hubs, and other food system actors to make long-term investments that can help them scale-up and meet demand.
  • Broad Eligibility: The language is flexible enough to include childcare providers that don’t participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, which can be burdensome for some sites. This means more children could theoretically be reached by this program.

What To Improve:

  • Clearer Food Definitions with a Focus on Fresh Foods: The Senate bill’s broad definition of “foods” could unintentionally open the door to highly processed products and benefit large corporations that already dominate the market. We recommend tightening this language to ensure communities receive fresh, high-quality, nutrient-dense foods. States can also further restrict what foods they will allow if the federal definition remains overly broad.
  • Ensuring Fair Access to Local Food Markets: Both bills commendably prioritize funding for Tribes and emphasize support for small, mid-size, beginning, and veteran producers. The final version should also ensure that support reaches communities that have historically faced discrimination and barriers to access local food markets, such as women and producers of color. 
  • More TA for food service professionals: Producers will receive technical assistance under these bills, but food service professionals also need robust support to source, process, cook, and serve local foods successfully.

What is the Connection with the Local Food for Schools and Child Care Program (LFSCC)?

America's food security depends on a diverse network of producers. Supply chain disruptions like the pandemic highlight the need for decentralized food systems. The best way to achieve this is leveraging taxpayer dollars to create stable markets for small and mid-sized farmers and ranchers.

These bills would similarly give states the flexibility to develop specific cooperative agreements and would build upon lessons learned from previous programs like LFSCC. That program demonstrated how federal investments create wins for farmers while delivering healthy food to America’s children. However, LFSCC was not bipartisan and its design often missed the mark. These bills represent a much-improved approach developed by representatives from across the country with a focus on creating stable markets, investing in local supply chains, and supporting farmers in strategically scaling-up operations.

This is a time to celebrate! Together, we have already moved the needle by pushing back against the termination of LFSCC. We can continue this momentum to advocate for an improved, permanent policy solution that will culminate in a triple win for our farmers, our students, and our communities.