Despite a short growing season and a multitude of distribution challenges, Montana schools support Farm to School efforts and value locally sourced products. Results from the most recent USDA Farm to School census show that 83% of respondents incorporated local foods in their menus.

Funds obtained through Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreements (LFS) can build on this foundation to expand the volume and variety of local products purchased, as well as the number of Montana suppliers who conduct business with schools.

The NOSB will meet to discuss substances petitioned for addition to or deletion from the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List), substances due to sunset from the National List in 2025, and recommendations on organic policies.

The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) will use cooperative agreement funds to support Utah’s small ranchers and provide school food service programs access to beef and bison products. USBE will procure competitive contracts with local meat producers and processors. Cooperative agreement funds will then be sub-awarded to school food service programs. Schools will work directly with contracted vendors to arrange ordering and delivery, and will invoice USBE for reimbursement, up to the total amount of their award.

The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service requests applications from states, territories and tribal governments for the expansion of the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program (LFPA Plus), which was announced in November 2022.

The Spirit Lake Tribe is applying for a Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program allocation to procure and distribute domestic and tribal grown food to an underserved and impoverished community that is in a designated Promise Zone.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced the appointment of 13 members to serve on the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board. Twelve of the 13 appointees will serve three-year terms, effective immediately, through Oct. 31, 2025. The remaining appointee will serve the remaining two years of a vacant position, effective immediately and expiring October 31, 2024.

The newly appointed members are: