Make a Local Food for Schools Program Permanent
Feed our kids. Support our farmers. Strengthen our communities.
Local food purchasing programs have already connected New Jersey schools with New Jersey farmers bringing fresh, locally produced food to students while creating valuable markets for farms.
But these programs have depended on temporary private and federal funding. Schools and farmers can't build lasting purchasing relationships around funding that may disappear from one year to the next.
S1650/A1492 would change that by establishing a permanent Local Food for Schools program within the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, with stable, predictable state support.
We already know this works.
Temporary Local Food for Schools initiatives demonstrated that local procurement benefits everyone involved.
The program has already:
Served X school districts
Supported X New Jersey farms
Purchased $X in local food
Reached X students
Now New Jersey has the opportunity to build on that success with a permanent program that delivers lasting benefits for students, farmers, and communities.
Passing S1650/A1492 ensures these partnerships continue to grow instead of disappearing when temporary funding ends.
Built in New Jersey, for New Jersey
The proposed program was shaped with input from the farmers, food hubs, school districts, and other partners who participated in previous local food purchasing programs. Their experience helped identify what worked, what didn't, and what a permanent New Jersey program needs to succeed. S1650 also includes improvements based on input and questions from the NJ Department of Agriculture.
The result is a program designed around the realities of New Jersey farms, New Jersey schools, and New Jersey's food supply chain.
Local Food for Schools Coalition Members
NJ School Nutrition Association
NJ Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey
New Jersey Farm Bureau
The Common Market
Zone 7
Lima Family Farm
Add your organization’s name here!
Why does New Jersey need a permanent program?
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Predictability for NJ farmers
Farmers need to know that markets will exist before they plant, hire workers, purchase equipment, or expand production. Stable funding makes long-term planning possible.
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Reliability for NJ schools
Schools need consistent programs and purchasing resources to build relationships with local suppliers and incorporate more New Jersey food into their menus.
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A program NJ can shape
A permanent program gives the ability to build a program around our own farms, schools, supply chains, and priorities rather than depending on the availability/rules of temporary outside funding.