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From beef and bison in Montana to apples in Michigan and radishes in Rhode Island, local foods are on the menu for students across the country. Local procurement not only supports increasing economic opportunities for local farmers, but also helps schools and other institutions incorporate wholesome local foods into program meals and encourage children to make healthy food choices. The resources on this page will help ensure child nutrition program operators have the resources and knowledge necessary to incorporate local foods into their day-to-day operations. While many of the resources featured here were developed with K-12 schools in mind, much of the information is equally relevant to early childcare institutions and facilities, as well as summer feeding sites.
On Oct. 30, 2019, FNS published the Memorandum SP20 CACFP07, SFSP06-2019 “Revised, Federal Micro-Purchase and Simplified Acquisition Thresholds”. This memorandum supersedes SP01 CACFP01, SFSP01-2013. The thresholds under federal financial assistance awards are increased as follows: the federal micro-purchase threshold increased from $3,500 to $10,000 and the federal simplified acquisition threshold (formerly known as the federal small purchase threshold) increased from $150,000 to $250,000. In 2021, OMB updated the uniform administrative requirements, cost principles, and audit requirements for federal awards (2 CFR 200.320). The updated regulations allow for program operators to self-certify an increased micro-purchase threshold of up to $50,000, and even over $50,000 in some situations, as long as regulatory requirements are followed. The information is also reflected in the memorandum SP 02-2022, CACFP 03-2022; SFSP 01-2022. This guidance applies to all federal micro-purchase threshold and federal simplified acquisition threshold figures referenced throughout the following documents. Program operators can check with their state agency points of contact for questions or guidance about procurement regulations.
The USDA Procuring Local Foods for Child Nutrition Programs Guide provides an overview of federal procurement principles and covers a host of topics related to sourcing and purchasing local foods for state agencies and child nutrition program operators. This guide highlights the variety of mechanisms schools can use to purchase local products while staying in accordance with federal procurement regulations. The guide features examples of how to target local foods when conducting both formal and informal procurements, use the geographic preference option, and use the USDA Foods and DoD Fresh Programs to enhance local purchasing.
Availability: All are welcome to download these materials. If you have difficulty opening any of these files in your Internet browser, please right-click on the link and “save link as” to download.
The Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program hosted a series of webinars that showcase a variety of ways school districts can purchase local foods. The series starts with an introduction to basic procurement principles and walks participants through strategies and tactics for procuring local foods.
The entire series can be viewed online:
Please go to the Farm to School Fact Sheets Page.
For more information and to sign up for the Dirt, the e-letter from the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program, visit www.fns.usda.gov/f2s/e-letter-archive.