Why Some Schools Serve Local Food And Others Can't (Or Won't)

CC Image courtesy of DC Central Kitchen on Flickr

Getting local food in school cafeterias isn't always an easy feat. Depending on state policies, contract agreements and the scale of farm production; schools either don't stand a chance or can easily access local produce for cafeterias.

"For many years, if a public school district wanted to serve students apples or milk from local farmers, it could face all kinds of hurdles. Schools were locked into strict contracts with distributors, few of whom saw any reason to start bringing in local products. Those contracts also often precluded schools from working directly with local farmers.

But buying local got easier with federal legislation in 2008, and then again in 2010, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture created the Farm to School program to get more healthful food in schools and link smaller U.S. farmers with a steady market of lunch rooms."

Read the full article, "Why Some Schools Serve Local Food And Others Can't (Or Won't)," on NPR.org.