The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA), Bureau of Food Assistance has received approximately $4.8 million in Local Foods for Schools (LFS) funding from USDA to distribute to eligible School Food Authorities (SFAs) to be used exclusively to purchase unprocessed or minimally processed, locally or regionally sourced, domestic food products to help SFAs access additional food supplies for use in administering the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs in the 2024-25 School Year.

Examples of allowable food products that can be purchased using LFS funds include:

• fruits and vegetables (including 100% juices);
• grain products such as pastas and rice;
• meats (whole, pieces, or food items such as ground meats);
• meat alternates such as beans or legumes;
• fluid milk and other dairy foods such as cheese and yogurt; and,
• foods in a wide variety of minimal processing states (e.g., whole, cut, pureed, etc.) and/or forms (e.g., fresh, frozen, canned, dried, etc.).

Foods that are generally understood to be significantly processed or prepared are unallowable. Examples of unallowable products would include:

• baked goods such as breads, muffins, or crackers;
• prepackaged sandwiches or meals; and,
• other prepared and/or pre-cooked items that come ready-to-eat or that require no further preparation beyond heating (eg. chicken nuggets, fish sticks, pre-made pizzas, etc.).

Funding will be awarded proportionally, based on the number of meals reported to PDE as having been served by the SFA in SY 2022/2023. While final funding amounts are dependent on the total number of SFAs that opt-in to participate in LFS, the following chart provides an estimate of how much funding each LFA could expect to receive.

To be eligible for LFS funds, SFAs must:

• Participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and/or School Breakfast Program (SBP) for the 2024/25 School Year, as evidenced by an approved program application packet and submission of a claim for reimbursement. SFAs participating only in the Special Milk Program (SMP) are not eligible.
• Complete and return this LFS Funding Attestation Statement form to ra-fooddist@pa.gov by September 13, 2024. The Chief Administrator must digitally sign the document. The attestation form is required for the SFA to attest it meets the eligibility requirements for LFS funding. 

Failure to return the LFS Funding Attestation Statement form to ra-fooddist@pa.gov by September 13, 2024, will result in forfeiture of LFS funding for the SFA, including any potential reallocation of funds. In order to expedite timely issuance of funds, no exceptions or extensions will be granted.

Questions? Please contact Caryn Long Earl, Director of the Bureau of Food Assistance, at cearl@pa.gov.