NH Farm to School Policy

One of the levers of change for our farm to school work in New Hampshire is through policy. Our network is dedicated to collaborating in support of state and federal polices that further our farm to school work and values. Browse some of the policies we are currently working on below.

Local Food for Local Schools Reimbursement Pilot Program

The Local Food for Local Schools Reimbursement Pilot Program bill funded a pilot program to incentivize New Hampshire school districts and food service directors to purchase locally grown and produced food for breakfast and lunch services.

Interested schools can apply to participate in the pilot program and, if selected, will be reimbursed for all qualifying food purchases at the following rate: $1 for every $3 spent on New Hampshire grown, caught, or produced foods and $1 for every $6 spent on New England grown, caught, or produced foods up to a predetermined dollar amount based on the school’s enrollment.

Learn more about the program and apply here >>

The NH Farm to School Network estimates the Local Food for Local Schools Reimbursement Pilot Program will annually inject $420,000 federal and state funds directly into New Hampshire’s farm and food economy. Additionally, through the reimbursement pilot program, farm to school advocates, parents, teachers, farmers, and community members believe it will:

Foster school-farmer relationships, lessening supply chain disruptions, and increasing food security
Educate students, teachers, and school staff about local foods and the importance of supporting local agriculture
Increase profitability for New Hampshire and New England farmers, fishermen, and food producers

Current legislative status:

HB 1678, the Local Food for Local Schools Reimbursement Program bill, has passed through both the House and Senate and was recently signed into law by Governor Sununu. The program started accepted applications on January 22 and the program will launch on April 1. Read more below and stay tuned for updates!

“Governor Chris Sununu Signs 33 Bills Into Law, Vetoes 2,” the Governor’s Office
Read more >>

“Pilot program will incentivize school districts to buy from New Hampshire farms,” Concord Monitor
Read more >>

“A new law will help some NH schools access local food,” NHPR
Read more >>

Resources about Local Food Incentive programs for schools:

Local Food Purchasing Incentives (LFPIs) are programs that provide additional funding to child nutrition program operators to directly offset or incentivize local food purchases. According to the National Farm to School Network, the first state-level LFPI was established in 2001, and as of August 2023, at least 16 states and Washington, D.C. have established LFPIs.

To contribute to the growing body of knowledge on LFPIs and provide more information for farm to school advocates and practitioners nationwide, the National Farm to School Network and Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems collaborated on this eight-part resource series below.

Stakeholders or designers of LFPI programs can use these resources to explore existing examples of LFPIs and better understand opportunities for increased benefits and program improvement. Additionally, these resources offer considerations and ideas for advocates and policymakers to support the creation of new programs.

Farm to School Local Food Purchasing Incentives Resources:

More information about Local Food Purchasing Incentives can be found here >>