June 18/Washington/USDA -- The United States Department of Agriculture announced recently that its child nutrition programs are implementing new rules designed to encourage use of local farm products in school meals.
The new rules will let schools and other providers give preference to unprocessed locally grown and locally raised agricultural products as they purchase food for the National School Lunch, School Breakfast, Special Milk, Child and Adult Care, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable, and Summer Food Service programs.