Virtual Call to Action Highlights the Importance of Local Food in School Meals
[Harrisburg, PA] — Aug 4, 2025 — Pennsylvanian farmers, food producers, school nutrition professionals, and community advocates came together for the recent Keystone Fresh Act Call to Action, a virtual event aimed at building momentum for PA House Bill 1768, recently introduced by Chairman Danilo Burgos. The event spotlighted the critical role of the proposed legislation in expanding local food purchasing within Pennsylvania schools and strengthening the state’s agricultural economy.
The Keystone Fresh Act is designed to increase access to Pennsylvania-grown fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy, and grains in school meals – creating stable markets for local farmers and improving nutrition for children across the Commonwealth. Currently, less than 2% of Pennsylvania’s $729 million annual school lunch budget is spent on locally grown foods, underscoring the need for meaningful state-level investment.
“With recent cuts to local food purchasing programs at the federal level, it is critical that Pennsylvania takes action to help get more local food in our schools,” stated Chairman Burgos. “This bill will help farmers across the state access needed equipment and make it easier for school districts to purchase Pennsylvanian-grown products that all of our kids will benefit from.”
Farmers and school food professionals shared their firsthand experiences illustrating the impact of local food procurement for school meals. Crystal Hampton-Davis, owner of Davis Grown Farm in Schuylkill County, described her journey selling her products to schools. 
“In the past two years, we’ve been supplying ground beef and sweet corn to multiple schools in our community,” said Hampton-Davis. “From the beginning, I knew that schools would need financial support to purchase our products, so I let them know about various farm to school grants that could offset the cost.”
Hampton-Davis is one of 26 beef producers participating in the PA Beef to PA Schools program, which helps schools pay for 50% of the cost of local beef used in school meals. However, state funding for the program is not currently included in the proposed state budget for the next fiscal year—potentially jeopardizing the ability of the 120 participating school districts to continue serving Pennsylvania-raised beef to students.
If passed, the Keystone Fresh Act will establish the Fresh Schools Grant Program providing schools with substantial funding to purchase Pennsylvania-grown and produced products including whole and minimally-processed fruits, vegetables, herbs, meat, seafood, yogurt, cheese, legumes and grains. The bill will also fund technical assistance and infrastructure investments for producers and schools, supporting cold storage, processing capacity, and other critical needs that make local procurement possible.
“Choosing to purchase fresh local products and prioritizing scratch cooking is an excellent operating philosophy, but it isn’t always easy to do,” said Nick Milone, Food Service Director for Gettysburg Area School District, “The school food industry has traditionally relied heavily on processed and less nutritious foods which typically cost less than fresh food from our own communities’ farms and producers.”
The event also provided participants with advocacy tools and strategies to effectively engage legislators. Carly Auchey Chairperson of the Adams County Food Policy Council emphasized the power of personal stories and widespread community awareness in influencing policy decisions.
“When the school is serving beef tips on the lunch menu, I post it on social media, I show up to the school when I can and I work with the school to invite other people from our community,” said Hampton-Davis, “One time our Mayor and the local newspaper came out to our event and that led to much more community awareness – not only about my farm but about the broader farm to school cause.”
“We involve our students in the school meal experience by offering taste tests when we introduce new menu items and celebrating PA Preferred Days alongside local producers like Bucher Meats,” said Milone, “the kids come through the lunch line and love to see the colorful fresh food they get to eat – that makes a big difference.”
The Keystone Fresh Act has broad bipartisan support, with endorsements from more than 80 organizations and businesses, including the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, Pasa Sustainable Agriculture, and the School Nutrition Association of Pennsylvania. As federal funding for local food programs declines, the bill represents a critical state-level solution to sustain and grow Pennsylvania’s farm to school connections.
Sam Gibb, with the Pennsylvania Farm to School Network, closed the event by encouraging continued community involvement to support the bill’s passage. “The Keystone Fresh Act is a win for local economies, public health, and children’s nutrition.” Gibb said.
Watch the virtual gathering here.