Many US school food authorities purchase local foods such as fruits and vegetables for their district’s cafeterias. In addition to buying locally produced foods, many school districts participate in other farm-to-school activities.
According to USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service 2019 Farm to School Census, approximately two-thirds of US school districts participated in farm-to-school activities during the 2018-19 school year. Of the school districts that participated, 78 percent reported purchasing any local foods during the school year. Fruits and vegetables topped the list of local foods purchased in 2018-19, at 85 percent and 82 percent of school districts, respectively.
Source: ers.usda.gov