Unlocking Local Flavors: New Hampshire's Farm-to-School Pilot Program

In a move to bolster local food systems and improve student nutrition, the state of New Hampshire has launched a groundbreaking pilot program that aims to connect school districts with nearby farms and producers. The initiative, backed by a recently signed bill, promises to provide both financial and technical assistance to schools, empowering them to source more of their ingredients from within the Granite State and the broader New England region.

Empowering Schools to Embrace Local Flavors

Overcoming Barriers to Farm-to-School Initiatives

For years, the New Hampshire Farm to School program, operated through the University of New Hampshire Sustainability Institute, has been working to help school districts source locally grown and produced foods. However, Stacey Purslow, the program's coordinator, acknowledges that there are often significant hurdles to overcome.School lunch programs, she explains, are typically underfunded, and food service directors frequently lack the time and resources to navigate the complexities of local sourcing. Connecting with multiple vendors, rather than a single food distributor, can be time-consuming, and factors like seasonality can further complicate menu planning."Because all the foods aren't in one place, it makes the time commitment...something that is challenging for school food service directors," Purslow says, noting that the issue has been exacerbated by the labor shortages experienced in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Pilot Program to Pave the Way

The newly enacted legislation aims to address these challenges head-on. The two-year pilot program will provide participating school districts with both financial and technical assistance, empowering them to more effectively incorporate local and regional foods into their meal offerings.A statewide program coordinator will be tasked with connecting districts to local food networks, helping to streamline the sourcing process. Additionally, the pilot will offer reimbursements to schools, providing for every spent on foods grown, caught, or produced in New Hampshire, and for every spent on foods from the broader New England region.These financial incentives, coupled with the administrative support, are expected to make it more feasible for schools to embrace local and regional food systems, ultimately benefiting both students and the local agricultural community.

Fostering Resilience and Nutrition

The primary sponsor of the bill, Rep. Alexis Simpson, believes the pilot program could have far-reaching implications. By creating new markets for local farmers and expanding students' access to nutritious foods, the initiative has the potential to strengthen the state's food supply chain and improve the overall health and well-being of New Hampshire's youth."I think it benefits New Hampshire students and communities because building a strong local food system increases supply chain resilience for everybody," Simpson says. "Maintaining our viable farms means that local, nutritious food will continue to be available for all Granite Staters."

A Statewide Rollout on the Horizon

The pilot program is expected to launch in early 2025, with a committee formed by the Department of Agriculture selecting one school district from each of New Hampshire's ten counties to participate. As the initiative gains traction, it could pave the way for a statewide expansion, ultimately transforming the way schools across the state approach their meal planning and procurement processes.By empowering schools to embrace local and regional food sources, the pilot program promises to deliver a range of benefits, from supporting local farmers and producers to improving the nutritional quality of school meals. As the Granite State leads the way in this innovative approach to farm-to-school initiatives, other states may soon follow suit, creating a ripple effect that could reshape the landscape of school food systems nationwide.