Blog
Secretary Tom Vilsack Visits Greeley Evans School District
Greeley-Evans School District 6 in northern Colorado was honored and excited to welcome Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to Maplewood Elementary School on March 22. The Secretary and visitors were able to see just one school of more than 30 in District 6 that provide essential health and nutrition programs to more than 22,000 students every day.
04/04/2023
Blog
Food Waste Reduction through Farm to School Programs
October is Farm to School Month! The USDA Farm to School Program helps schools incorporate local foods into meal programs and supports local food and agriculture education through grants, research, and technical assistance. Less plate waste may be a benefit for schools implementing farm to school.
10/27/2022
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FACT SHEET: Update on USDA Activities to Contain the COVID-19 Pandemic
In January 2021, President Biden released the National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness. The plan is driven by science, data, and public health to improve the effectiveness of our nation’s fight against COVID-19 and to restore trust, accountability and a sense of common purpose in our response to the pandemic.
05/05/2021
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ICYMI: USDA Extends Free Meals for All Kids
President Donald Trump proclaimed this week National School Lunch Week 2020, highlighting the vital role of school nutrition professionals in ensuring that children in all communities nationwide continue to get nutritious meals, despite the challenges posed by the current public health emergency.
10/16/2020
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Meals to You to Serve 5 Million Meals a Week to Rural Children
Secretary Sonny Perdue announced a major expansion of Meals to You, USDA’s innovative partnership with the Baylor University Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty, McLane Global and PepsiCo, to feed low-income kids in rural areas.
05/05/2020
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USDA Approves Program to Feed Kids in Kansas and Virginia
Secretary Sonny Perdue today announced Kansas and Virginia have been approved to operate Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer, a new program authorized by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act which provides assistance to families of children eligible for free or reduced-price meals dealing with school closures.
04/27/2020
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USDA Continues Focus on Service During COVID-19 Outbreak
While President Donald J. Trump continues to take action during this COVID-19 National Emergency and enact measures to ensure Americans are safe, secure, and healthy, USDA continues to be open for business to provide services to the American people.
03/17/2020
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USDA Provides School Meal Flexibility, Feeds Disaster Victims and More in 2018
FNCS Acting Deputy Under Secretary Brandon Lipps today highlighted the accomplishments of USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service in 2018, from common-sense flexibilities for school meal providers to the agency’s vigorous response to provide food to the victims of coast-to-coast natural disasters.
12/21/2018
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USDA Announces More Local Control for School Meal Operations
Deputy Secretary Steve Censky today announced two new efforts to provide states and school districts with additional flexibility and support to operate more efficient school meal programs. Censky made the announcement during a speech at the School Nutrition Association Legislative Action Conference.
03/05/2018
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USDA Announces Nationwide Expansion of Team Up for School Nutrition Success Initiative
Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced additional support for schools working to serve school children healthy meals with the nationwide expansion of the Team Up for School Nutrition Success Initiative. The initiative will provide school nutrition personnel across the country tailored technical assistance and peer to peer mentoring.
03/09/2015
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USDA Announces New Support to Help Schools Purchase More Food from Local Farmers
Secretary Vilsack today announced more than $5 million in grants for 82 projects spanning 42 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands that support USDA efforts to connect school cafeterias with local farmers and ranchers through its Farm to School Program. The program helps schools purchase more food from local farmers and ranchers in their communities, expanding access to healthy local food for school children and supporting local economies.
12/02/2014
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USDA Helps Florida, Missouri, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania to Improve Nutrition of School-Aged Kids
Under Secretary Kevin Concannon today announced awards to help four states improve enrollment in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs through a process called direct certification. Direct certification requires states and local educational agencies to automatically enroll students from households already participating in the SNAP or FDPIR, without an additional application from the child’s family to assist low-income households with children eligible for free meals at school.
12/29/2011
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USDA Awards Grants to Improve Efficiency and Accuracy of National School Meal Program Operations
Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced investments in the national school meal program that will protect taxpayer dollars while providing healthy school meals for low-income kids. The Administrative Review and Training Grants help states improve their operational accuracy in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. The grants highlight the work of states in improving the integrity and efficiency of program administration and delivery.
08/18/2011
Page updated: February 09, 2021