Local Food for Local Schools Purchasing Incentive Pilot Program

The first cohort of school districts part of the Local Food for Local Schools Purchasing Incentive Pilot Program has officially kicked off!

The pilot program, administered by the NH Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food, was established by House Bill 1678-FN during the 2024 legislative session and incentivizes New Hampshire school districts and food service directors to purchase New Hampshire grown and produced food for breakfast, lunch, and Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program services.

The following schools districts were selected to participate and will be making their first local purchases starting with the 2025-2026 school year. These districts represent over 40 schools across New Hampshire and will be spending nearly $600,000 on local food from September through June.

Local Food for Local Schools Purchasing Incentive Pilot Program 2025-2026 Cohort

SAU 16, Exeter Region
SAU 23, Haverhill
SAU 4, Newfound
SAU 47, Jaffrey-Rindge
SAU 58, Northumberland
SAU 60, Fall Mt. Regional
SAU 7, Colebrook
SAU 84, Littleton

The timing of this two-year pilot program is as follows:
Year 1: Program launch through the remainder of the 2024-2025 school year
Year 2: 2025-2026 school year

Schools accepted into the pilot program will be reimbursed at the set rate of $1 for every $3 federal dollars spent on New Hampshire grown and produced foods​. The total reimbursement amounts for each school year will range from $3,000-$25,000 per pilot participant and will be determined by total student enrollment. Reimbursement amounts may be adjusted in Year 2 based on expenditures in Year 1. Additionally, awards for Year 1 may be pro-rated based on the months remaining. 

The NH Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food will provide each school with an excel spreadsheet to keep track of reimbursable purchases. The excel spreadsheet is what schools will submit to receive reimbursements.​ Participating schools are also required to maintain receipts and invoices of purchases.

Foods that qualify for reimbursement are:

• Fruits and vegetables​
• Protein (beef, pork, poultry, and eggs​)
• NH-caught seafood
• Maple syrup​
• Pasteurized cider​
• Dairy products (yogurt and cheese​)
• Fluid milk from a New Hampshire farm​
• Lightly-processed New Hampshire grown products (applesauce and pre-cut vegetables)

Foods that DO NOT qualify for reimbursement are:

• Food from farms in other states​
• Items aggregated with those grown/produced outside of New Hampshire ​
• Fluid milk is only allowable if it’s from a New Hampshire dairy farm, like Contoocook Creamery​
  • Hood/Oakhurst/Garelick milk is not a New Hampshire product: the milk is aggregated from dairies across New England and is ineligible