“Students experience the entirety of the school day,” says Jen Cirillo, Shelburne Farms Director of Professional Learning. “Farm to school learning can be explicit in the classroom, but what are students eating in the cafeteria? How can we expect students to care about their food system if they aren’t seeing the school apply those values to its own meal program?”
Among the many cuts stressing our national systems—food, agricultural, environment, health, and otherwise— critical funding for farm to school and early childhood programming is in jeopardy. In March, the federal government canceled the Local Food for Schools and Child Care (LFSCC) program, which was intended to provide $660 million in funding nationwide.
With the Vermont Farm to School & Early Childhood Network, we’re advocating to restore this funding. The Network is requesting that the Vermont legislature invest in one-time funding for the LFSCC program to support our school, early childhood, and farming communities to serve nourishing, local food to Vermont kids while benefiting our farmers.
Students in Duxbury, VT enjoy a school meal with locally sourced food. The Harwood Unified Union School District's school nutrition program is ranked one of the top in the state for local purchasing. In the 2024-25 school year, 23% of the food they served was locally sourced. Photo: Isaac Cruz.
What is the Local Food for Schools Program?
During the pandemic, supply-chain shortages left school meal programs without the food they needed to feed students across the U.S., and school nutrition teams stepped up. They found innovative ways to meet their communities’ immediate need to nourish children and led the way for larger systems changes. One of those changes: building more relationships with local farmers to fill lunch trays and rely less on processed products from across the country.
But with incredibly tight meal budgets, schools find it challenging to sustainably invest in local foods. On average, school meal programs are keeping meal costs to $1.40 per tray. “It isn’t easy for schools to purchase from local growers and producers,” explains Kayla Strom, Farm to to School Manager at NOFA-VT. “Costs aside, the logistics of school food procurement highly favors large, consolidated corporate food companies, and these supports helped overcome these challenges.” The win-win of supporting smaller farmers and feeding kids nourishing meals prompted federal support of expanding this approach to school meals.
In 2021, the USDA launched the Local Food for Schools program (LFS), wherein the Department gave money to states to purchase local and regional food and distribute it to schools. As part of the program, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets (VAAFM) received $333,763. VAAFM worked with Vermont food hubs and partners to create the infrastructure for every Vermont school to receive local food at no cost, benefiting 90 Vermont farms — 66 of which made their first sales to schools ever.
"LFS funds allowed us to put fresh, local food on every lunch tray. Students noticed the difference—local carrots were sweeter, and apples, eggs, and dairy were appreciated. We saw less food waste as a result." –Karyl Kent, Lamoille North Supervisory Union
The program was a success across the country, and Vermont’s implementation model was recognized for its innovative use of funds and its farmer-focused model, one that directly invested in local farmers, food hubs, and other producers.
Earlier this year, the USDA signed a cooperative agreement with VAAFM for the Local Food for Schools and Child Care (LFSCC), with an expansion to childcare programs. $1.2 million was allocated for the state.
What’s Happening Now?
Vermont was actively developing its implementation plan: School nutrition teams built their menus to incorporate local foods, food hubs invested in infrastructure to support increased demand, and farmers planned their growing season with school purchases in mind.
On March 7, 2025 the federal government abruptly canceled the LFSCC program. 100% of the $1.2 million was dedicated to food purchases, the vast majority of which would have gone directly into the hands of Vermont farmers and producers.
"Thanks to LFS funds, we grew our business and provided food to local schools. Losing this funding affects our ability to hire staff and expand production. It was a source of pride to supply fresh organic food to our children’s schools." –Mary Skovsted, Joe’s Brook Farm (Barnet)
At this time, the Vermont State Senate and Vermont House have passed a budget that includes $500K in one-time funding for LFSCC. This budget still needs final approval and the Governor's signature. This $500K will go to Vermont farmers and producers to provide Vermont food for schools and early childhood programs.
Image above: Heartwood Farm in South Albany, VT sells their produce to local schools. They participate in the ongoing Vermont Farm to School & Early Childhood Network's This Farms Feeds Vermont Kids campaign to build awareness for local purchasing in schools. Photo: Maire Folan.
Looking Forward
“We cannot afford to move backward, we must continue investing in a future where every child and our agricultural communities thrive,” Kayla Strom shared in her testimony to legislators this February, during Farm to School and Early Childhood Day at the state house. “These programs are not just feeding students, they are shaping a generation that values local food, supports Vermont farmers, and strengthens our rural economy.”
While the LFSCC is by far the largest source of funding to support local purchasing in schools, it isn’t the only source. The Vermont Farm to School & Early Childhood Network advocates for funding to keep this work moving forward at the state level.
The state’s Local Foods Incentive Program provides schools with an increased reimbursement if they purchase 15% or more from Vermont farms and producers. This program—along with the state’s Farm to School & Early Childhood Grants Program and Universal School Meals—are the key supports that are often the difference between wanting to advance school foods systems change and making it happen.
“It’s important we don’t allow the federal terminations to overshadow the incredible work that is happening in our state , and in states across the country,” says Betsy Rosenbluth. “This is hard news, but this movement has been building for over 20 years, and we’ve been increasing our creativity and strength to weather this, organize, and demonstrate the powerful impact of farm to school on our kids, our farmers and our communities."
Get Involved
Learn more about the Vermont Farm to School & Early Childhood's work to support the LFSCC.
