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. This project will allow Utah meat producers the opportunity to explore new market channels and build relationships with new buyers, while helping schools improve meal quality with healthy, locally produced protein. The Local Food for Schools cooperative agreement project will be a win for Utah ranchers, meat processors, and schools.