{"id":56637,"date":"2023-02-13T09:11:06","date_gmt":"2023-02-13T14:11:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/?p=56637"},"modified":"2023-02-13T09:11:07","modified_gmt":"2023-02-13T14:11:07","slug":"guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/blog\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\/","title":{"rendered":"Guest Post: USDA\u2019s Proposed Rule for School Meals Shines a Light on Local"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/school-lunch-healthy-veggie-cups-VA-credit-USDA-1-700x500.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-56639\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/school-lunch-healthy-veggie-cups-VA-credit-USDA-1-700x500.jpg 700w, https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/school-lunch-healthy-veggie-cups-VA-credit-USDA-1-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/school-lunch-healthy-veggie-cups-VA-credit-USDA-1-768x549.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/school-lunch-healthy-veggie-cups-VA-credit-USDA-1-1536x1097.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/school-lunch-healthy-veggie-cups-VA-credit-USDA-1-2048x1463.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo credit: USDA.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>Editor\u2019s Note: This post is a guest blog post authored by FoodCorps, an NSAC member organization. The <a href=\"https:\/\/foodcorps.org\/usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">article<\/a> originally appeared on February 6, 2023.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The USDA\u2019s proposed school nutrition and local sourcing guidelines are best served with food education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Last week, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fns.usda.gov\/news-item\/usda-0027.23\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">USDA announced<\/a> a proposed rule to update nutrition standards for school meals. These recommendations build off of the incredible work of school nutrition professionals to deliver nourishing food to students every day\u2014including during the pandemic\u2014and they\u2019ll impact millions of kids who eat school meals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s an overview of what\u2019s included:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Updated requirements for sodium, whole grains, flavored milk, and added sugar (a newly added component)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A proposal that makes it easier for schools to purchase ingredients from local farmers and suppliers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A request for more information about how to incorporate culturally relevant and traditional foods in school menus specifically for American Indian and Alaska Native communities<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>FoodCorps celebrates the USDA\u2019s proposal to support schools in buying local menu items and serving culturally relevant foods. School meals are often the most nutritious meals a child will eat during the day, and updated guidelines like these help to ensure consistency in school meals across state and district lines. However, we also know it takes more than a balanced plate to make a meal nourishing and appealing. Here are some things to consider.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Keep Food Education on the Table<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We know kids are more likely to eat the nutritious foods on their plate if they\u2019ve tasted them before\u2014ideally, several times before! That\u2019s where food education comes in. In hundreds of schools nationwide, FoodCorps members teach kids about nourishing food in gardens, classrooms, and cafeterias. These lessons include how to grow, harvest, and cook different nutritious foods\u2014and come with plenty of opportunities to taste those foods, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This approach is proven to work; students in schools with more of FoodCorps\u2019 hands-on learning eat up to three times as many fruits and vegetables as students in schools with less hands-on learning, a Columbia University study found.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In FoodCorps schools, students might follow the growth of a plant from seedling to strawberry, or choose between two preparations of butternut squash in a cafeteria taste test. They might share stories about their favorite family food traditions, or make healthy snacks with veggies grown in the school garden. Later, when kids see those same fruits and vegetables in the cafeteria, they\u2019re eager to reach for them and more likely to eat them. This classroom-to-cafeteria link is an important step when rolling out new options, like a salad bar or a new vegetable on the menu.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hands-on, experiential lessons help students develop agency and confidence and get them excited to try new things\u2014and can even improve academic performance in other subject areas. <a href=\"https:\/\/foodcorps.org\/the-case-for-food\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">What kids eat at school matters<\/a>, not just for their daily fuel, but for the decisions they\u2019ll make and the relationship they\u2019ll have with food for the rest of their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Local Food Matters<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>FoodCorps believes that in order for school meals to truly nourish kids, they must be culturally relevant, scratch-cooked, locally sourced, and served in an inclusive environment. This means serving foods that are important to kids\u2019 cultures and identities and procuring ingredients from nearby farmers and producers. It also means making cafeterias calm, affirming spaces, and ensuring kids have enough time to eat their meals.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>FoodCorps works with countless school nutrition professionals who are innovative and resourceful when it comes to serving delicious, culturally relevant meals. These staff work within a complex set of rules and guidelines just to purchase the supplies and ingredients they need to feed our children. Buying food directly from local farmers and suppliers has many benefits, including more reliability and fewer supply chain disruptions (<a href=\"https:\/\/foodcorps.org\/how-supply-chain-challenges-are-affecting-school-nutrition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">even during COVID<\/a>). Purchasing directly from producers also keeps food dollars in the community, stimulating the local economy.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even better is that building those local relationships cultivates community and a direct line of communication between schools and food suppliers. Local producers can choose crops and ensure inventory that are most relevant as schools build their menus.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When pandemic-era supply chain disruptions began affecting cafeterias, FoodCorps listened to school nutrition leaders\u2019 stories of resilience. Their solutions ranged from working with local bakeries for staples like rolls and tortillas, to local suppliers delivering creative grab-and-go packaging solutions, to partnerships with local farms for consistent produce orders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As FoodCorps alum Phoebe Wong shared during last year\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/foodcorps.org\/whitehouseconference\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health<\/a>: \u201cListen to the farmers. They know what is best for their community.\u201d The provision in the USDA\u2019s proposed rule allowing schools to prioritize \u201clocal\u201d in the purchasing process is an important move to better connect farmers and schools and, ultimately, to better nourish our nation\u2019s children.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Raise Your Voice<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The USDA held numerous listening sessions before developing this proposal. Now they want to hear from stakeholders\u2014including parents, students, school district leaders, and food suppliers\u2014before finalizing this rule. The public comment period is open until April 10, so <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fns.usda.gov\/cn\/fr-020723\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">consider sharing your thoughts<\/a> on the importance of local, culturally relevant food in school!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We also encourage school nutrition leaders who identify as Black, Indigenous, Multiracial, and\/or People of Color to join <a href=\"https:\/\/foodcorps.org\/folcs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Food Operators and Leaders of Color in Schools (FOLCS)<\/a>, our initiative for leadership development, mentorship, and networking among school nutrition professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019re hopeful that, alongside these updated nutrition guidelines, we\u2019ll see continued investments from the government in our kids\u2019 wellbeing, and in the people who feed millions of students every day. Our kids\u2019 futures are counting on it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Editor\u2019s Note: This guest blog post by FoodCorps, an NSAC member, discusses the USDA\u2019s proposed school nutrition and local sourcing guidelines to update nutrition standards for school meals. These recommendations build off of the work of school nutrition professionals to deliver nourishing food to students every day. The public comment period on the guidelines is open until April 10. &#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/blog\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\/\">Read&nbsp;More&nbsp;&#x2192;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":56638,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[202,199,200],"tags":[71,1330,1331,1329,225,306,125,234,1263],"class_list":{"0":"post-56637","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-carousel","8":"category-local-food-systems","9":"category-nutrition-food-access","10":"tag-farm-to-school","11":"tag-folcs","12":"tag-food-operators-and-leaders-of-color-in-schools","13":"tag-foodcorps","14":"tag-guidelines","15":"tag-local-food","16":"tag-nutrition","17":"tag-usda","18":"tag-white-house-conference-on-nutrition","19":"entry","20":"clb-has-post-thumbnail"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Guest Post: USDA\u2019s Proposed Rule for School Meals Shines a Light on Local - National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Editor\u2019s Note: This guest blog post by FoodCorps, an NSAC member, discusses the USDA\u2019s proposed school nutrition and local sourcing guidelines to update nutrition standards for school meals. These recommendations build off of the work of school nutrition professionals to deliver nourishing food to students every day. The public comment period on the guidelines is open until April 10.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/blog\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Guest Post: USDA\u2019s Proposed Rule for School Meals Shines a Light on Local\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Editor\u2019s Note: This guest blog post by FoodCorps, an NSAC member, discusses the USDA\u2019s proposed school nutrition and local sourcing guidelines to update nutrition standards for school meals. These recommendations build off of the work of school nutrition professionals to deliver nourishing food to students every day. The public comment period on the guidelines is open until April 10.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/blog\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sustainableag\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-02-13T14:11:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-02-13T14:11:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/school-lunch-healthy-veggie-cups-VA-credit-USDA-700x500.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"700\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Laura Zaks\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Guest Post: USDA\u2019s Proposed Rule for School Meals Shines a Light on Local\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Editor\u2019s Note: This guest blog post by FoodCorps, an NSAC member, discusses the USDA\u2019s proposed school nutrition and local sourcing guidelines to update nutrition standards for school meals. These recommendations build off of the work of school nutrition professionals to deliver nourishing food to students every day. The public comment period on the guidelines is open until April 10.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/school-lunch-healthy-veggie-cups-VA-credit-USDA.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@sustainableag\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@sustainableag\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Laura Zaks\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/blog\\\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/blog\\\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Laura Zaks\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/652a20de343c04163f972a367607acce\"},\"headline\":\"Guest Post: USDA\u2019s Proposed Rule for School Meals Shines a Light on Local\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-02-13T14:11:06+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-02-13T14:11:07+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/blog\\\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":958,\"commentCount\":2,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/blog\\\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/02\\\/school-lunch-healthy-veggie-cups-VA-credit-USDA.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Farm to School\",\"FOLCS\",\"Food Operators and Leaders of Color in Schools\",\"FoodCorps\",\"guidelines\",\"local food\",\"Nutrition\",\"USDA\",\"White House Conference on Nutrition\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Carousel\",\"Local &amp; Regional Food Systems\",\"Nutrition &amp; Food Access\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/blog\\\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/blog\\\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/blog\\\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\\\/\",\"name\":\"Guest Post: USDA\u2019s Proposed Rule for School Meals Shines a Light on Local - National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/blog\\\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/blog\\\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/02\\\/school-lunch-healthy-veggie-cups-VA-credit-USDA.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-02-13T14:11:06+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-02-13T14:11:07+00:00\",\"description\":\"Editor\u2019s Note: This guest blog post by FoodCorps, an NSAC member, discusses the USDA\u2019s proposed school nutrition and local sourcing guidelines to update nutrition standards for school meals. These recommendations build off of the work of school nutrition professionals to deliver nourishing food to students every day. The public comment period on the guidelines is open until April 10.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/blog\\\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/blog\\\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/blog\\\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/02\\\/school-lunch-healthy-veggie-cups-VA-credit-USDA.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/02\\\/school-lunch-healthy-veggie-cups-VA-credit-USDA.jpg\",\"width\":2100,\"height\":1500,\"caption\":\"Fresh vegetable cups prepared for the National School Lunch Program at Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia, Wednesday, October 19, 2011. The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program administered by the United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service operating in public, nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/blog\\\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Guest Post: USDA\u2019s Proposed Rule for School Meals Shines a Light on Local\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/\",\"name\":\"National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition\",\"description\":\"Supporting the economic and environmental sustainability of agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/04\\\/cropped-logo.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/04\\\/cropped-logo.webp\",\"width\":303,\"height\":70,\"caption\":\"National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/sustainableag\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/sustainableag\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/652a20de343c04163f972a367607acce\",\"name\":\"Laura Zaks\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/51fd31973dbf24eccc07fdd313fd8b3688c7790bee2ee09a947cb85d2f290191?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/51fd31973dbf24eccc07fdd313fd8b3688c7790bee2ee09a947cb85d2f290191?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/51fd31973dbf24eccc07fdd313fd8b3688c7790bee2ee09a947cb85d2f290191?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Laura Zaks\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sustainableagriculture.net\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/lzaks\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Guest Post: USDA\u2019s Proposed Rule for School Meals Shines a Light on Local - National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition","description":"Editor\u2019s Note: This guest blog post by FoodCorps, an NSAC member, discusses the USDA\u2019s proposed school nutrition and local sourcing guidelines to update nutrition standards for school meals. These recommendations build off of the work of school nutrition professionals to deliver nourishing food to students every day. The public comment period on the guidelines is open until April 10.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/blog\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Guest Post: USDA\u2019s Proposed Rule for School Meals Shines a Light on Local","og_description":"Editor\u2019s Note: This guest blog post by FoodCorps, an NSAC member, discusses the USDA\u2019s proposed school nutrition and local sourcing guidelines to update nutrition standards for school meals. These recommendations build off of the work of school nutrition professionals to deliver nourishing food to students every day. The public comment period on the guidelines is open until April 10.","og_url":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/blog\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\/","og_site_name":"National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sustainableag\/","article_published_time":"2023-02-13T14:11:06+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-02-13T14:11:07+00:00","og_image":[{"width":700,"height":500,"url":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/school-lunch-healthy-veggie-cups-VA-credit-USDA-700x500.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Laura Zaks","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"Guest Post: USDA\u2019s Proposed Rule for School Meals Shines a Light on Local","twitter_description":"Editor\u2019s Note: This guest blog post by FoodCorps, an NSAC member, discusses the USDA\u2019s proposed school nutrition and local sourcing guidelines to update nutrition standards for school meals. These recommendations build off of the work of school nutrition professionals to deliver nourishing food to students every day. The public comment period on the guidelines is open until April 10.","twitter_image":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/school-lunch-healthy-veggie-cups-VA-credit-USDA.jpg","twitter_creator":"@sustainableag","twitter_site":"@sustainableag","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Laura Zaks","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/blog\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/blog\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\/"},"author":{"name":"Laura Zaks","@id":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/#\/schema\/person\/652a20de343c04163f972a367607acce"},"headline":"Guest Post: USDA\u2019s Proposed Rule for School Meals Shines a Light on Local","datePublished":"2023-02-13T14:11:06+00:00","dateModified":"2023-02-13T14:11:07+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/blog\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\/"},"wordCount":958,"commentCount":2,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/blog\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/school-lunch-healthy-veggie-cups-VA-credit-USDA.jpg","keywords":["Farm to School","FOLCS","Food Operators and Leaders of Color in Schools","FoodCorps","guidelines","local food","Nutrition","USDA","White House Conference on Nutrition"],"articleSection":["Carousel","Local &amp; Regional Food Systems","Nutrition &amp; Food Access"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/blog\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/blog\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\/","url":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/blog\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\/","name":"Guest Post: USDA\u2019s Proposed Rule for School Meals Shines a Light on Local - National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/blog\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/blog\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/school-lunch-healthy-veggie-cups-VA-credit-USDA.jpg","datePublished":"2023-02-13T14:11:06+00:00","dateModified":"2023-02-13T14:11:07+00:00","description":"Editor\u2019s Note: This guest blog post by FoodCorps, an NSAC member, discusses the USDA\u2019s proposed school nutrition and local sourcing guidelines to update nutrition standards for school meals. These recommendations build off of the work of school nutrition professionals to deliver nourishing food to students every day. The public comment period on the guidelines is open until April 10.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/blog\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/blog\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/blog\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/school-lunch-healthy-veggie-cups-VA-credit-USDA.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/school-lunch-healthy-veggie-cups-VA-credit-USDA.jpg","width":2100,"height":1500,"caption":"Fresh vegetable cups prepared for the National School Lunch Program at Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia, Wednesday, October 19, 2011. The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program administered by the United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service operating in public, nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/blog\/guest-post-usdas-proposed-rule-for-school-meals-shines-a-light-on-local\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Guest Post: USDA\u2019s Proposed Rule for School Meals Shines a Light on Local"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/#website","url":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/","name":"National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition","description":"Supporting the economic and environmental sustainability of agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/#organization","name":"National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition","url":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/cropped-logo.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/cropped-logo.webp","width":303,"height":70,"caption":"National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sustainableag\/","https:\/\/x.com\/sustainableag"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/#\/schema\/person\/652a20de343c04163f972a367607acce","name":"Laura Zaks","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/51fd31973dbf24eccc07fdd313fd8b3688c7790bee2ee09a947cb85d2f290191?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/51fd31973dbf24eccc07fdd313fd8b3688c7790bee2ee09a947cb85d2f290191?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/51fd31973dbf24eccc07fdd313fd8b3688c7790bee2ee09a947cb85d2f290191?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Laura Zaks"},"url":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/blog\/author\/lzaks\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56637","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56637"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56637\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56638"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56637"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56637"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56637"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}