More than one-third of U.S. public school districts serve locally produced foods, USDA says

More than one-third of U.S. public school districts serve locally produced food, according to a survey by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Of the 9,887 school districts that responded to the survey, 36 percent said they serve local foods, and 9 percent said they plan to serve local foods in the future.

USDA, which created the Farm to School program in 2010 to encourage school districts to serve local food, found that more than 80 percent of districts in Rhode Island, Maryland, Delaware, Vermont, Hawaii and Maine serve local foods, according to survey respondents. In 10 states—Nevada, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Illinois, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama—20 percent or fewer respondents said they served local foods.

The most common local foods served are fruits and vegetables, with more than 90 percent of schools saying they serve those foods. The majority of local foods come from distributors, but many districts also receive food directly from producers, food processors and manufacturers. (Read more) (USDA map)