Procurement Resources
Here are some great materials from outside organizations on the topic of local food procurement. All of these resources have been vetted and provide useful information on how to add local foods into school food purchases.
Farm to School Resources
- ISBE Farm to Child Nutrition Programs (F2CNP)
- This is the ISBE Farm to Institution page featuring Local Food in Schools (LFS) information, local procurement methods for NSLP and NSB, as well as, multiple resource links for Farm to School.
- USDA Local Food Procurement Guide
- This is specific to Illinois, and goes over the different types of bidding strategies and ways to bring local vendors into your current distribution service
- Local Procurement Decision Tree
- Includes information on the federal micro purchase threshold (a way to make small purchases without a bid) and how to decide whether to use informal or formal procurement methods
- Farm to Summer
- If you operate a summer meal site through SFSP, this is information on how to incorporate local food purchases into your program
- Farm to School Resource Guide
- Contains an array of resources from planning to sustaining your farm to school program, including guides on finding and buying local foods.
USDA Farm to School Factsheets
- Using DoD Fresh to Purchase Local Foods
- How to source local foods using the Department of Defense Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program for the purchase of fresh produce with USDA entitlement dollars.
- USDA Resources for Buying Local
- Ways in which the USDA supports local purchasing, and a quick guide to which USDA foods may be local your region.
- Geographic Preference: What it is and how to use it
- Links to procurement resources, and information on how to use geographic preference when issuing an invitation for a bid.
- Local Meat in Schools
- Increasing opportunities for small and mid-sized ranchers and fishermen to supply schools with local meat products.
- Farm to Preschool
- Tips for beginning and growing your farm to school program in early child care and education settings.
- 10 Facts about Local Foods in School Cafeterias
- Quick guide to local foods in schools.
- Selling Local Foods to Schools: A Resource for Producers
- Pathways for producers to connect with, and sell to, local schools and districts.
- How Cooperative Extension Agents Can Support Farm to School Programs
- Opportunities for Cooperative Extension professionals to get involved to connect local and regional farm products to school meal programs and assist with education.
- USDA Grants and Loans that Support Farm to School Activities
- Flow chart and resources for funding from the USDA to assist schools and farms to bolster farm to school activities.
- USDA Farm to School Grant Program
- Information on USDA grants and examples of previously funded projects.
Adding “Local” to Bid Language
Adding language for local and regional sourcing to bids for broadline distributors and food service management companies will help your district to obtain locally sourced foods for the menu. Here are resources to adjust your bid language and help you move forward!
- The Common Market: Advancing School Food Procurement Toolkit
- Advancing School Food Procurement: Driving Values-Based Purchasing through Competitive Solicitations” compiles existing values-based food solicitations from across the U.S. and lifts up best practices and insights from school food leaders, including school nutrition directors, food service management company representatives, USDA farm to school staff, and more.
- Institute of Child Nutrition Procuring Local Foods for Child Nutrition Programs Toolkit
- The guide highlights a variety of mechanisms schools can use to purchase local products while staying in accordance with federal procurement regulations, 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.