June's Bounty: Savoring Local Flavors Amidst Challenges

As the school year winds down, June ushers in the vibrant energy of summer! For many children, this season means a much-anticipated break, but it also highlights the critical role of summer feeding programs. These programs are essential in ensuring kids continue to receive nutritious meals even when school is out. However, with recent budget cuts impacting these vital initiatives, the need to maximize every resource, especially through the smart use of local foods, becomes even more pressing.

Utilizing local produce in summer feeding programs not only provides fresher, more delicious options but also strengthens our local economies and supports regional farmers in challenging times. It’s a win-win, allowing us to enhance the quality of meals while navigating tighter budgets. This summer, let's champion homegrown goodness, creatively adapting to ensure our children are healthy, happy, and well-fed throughout these sunny months. The Region Roots Community Partner Catalog is available for you to place your orders.

Local Food for Schools Impact - Executive Summary

Over the course of two school years, the Local Food for Schools Program has had an incredible impact on students, schools, and Indiana farmers. The power of local procurement is evident; farm to school efforts support local economies, drive higher school lunch participation, and will reduce healthcare costs in the long term by developing better eating habits in Indiana’s children.

In NW Indiana, LFS distributions were managed by Region Roots Local Farm and Food Hub, a program of the NWI Food Council. Region Roots and its farmers experienced 900% sales growth overnight with the introduction of the program. We hired two additional drivers and worked with farmers to develop contracts that enabled them to grow their farms with confidence that their food had a ready market.

87% ($1,417,319.87) of the $1,630,450 allocated to NWI in the program went directly to farmer purchases, with the other $ 213,040.16 supporting delivery and cold chain expenses. In addition to the immediate impact on farmers, the availability of local food catalyzed skills development in food service staff who shifted to more scratch cooking, and also helped schools to balance their budgets while enjoying foods that were more fresh, more nutrient dense, and tastier.

For full report click HERE

POLICY UPDATES

The NWI Food Council is collecting stories to use in advocacy efforts in support of reinstatement of funding for local food programs, farmers, and conservation efforts. We are asking that you take the time today to share with us the impacts that these programs have had on you, your farm, and your community, as well as the potential impact that will occur as a result of the cancellation of these critical programs.

Click here to share your story and share this link widely!

Check out our new Policy Page, for updates, information, and action alerts about policy and funding updates that are impacting farms and food systems in our region and beyond!
For breaking news on food and farm policy updates, check in with the Civil Eats Food Policy Tracker.
Check back in our next newsletter for a round up of local media and news articles about recent federal funding cuts and policy changes.

It's budget season in D.C. and Congress is making decisions about funding for food assistance and farm programs that impact all of us. More than 40 million people, including farmers, farmworkers, children, seniors, people with disabilities, and the country’s most vulnerable populations, rely on food assistance. And every $1 in SNAP generates up to $1.80 in economic activity. That means SNAP doesn’t just feed people—it sustains local jobs, stabilizes food businesses, and keeps farmers growing. Read more about what this budget reconciliation means for farmers, and take action to protect SNAP!

Join the National Farm to School Network on June 10 at 3pm ET for the second installment of "Cuts that Bite", where we'll provide an update on the federal landscape, and dig into the real-world consequences of federal rollbacks on small and mid-sized farms, and how those working at the intersection of agriculture, education, and food access are rising to meet this moment with resilience, strategy, and care. Register today!

RECOGNITIONS

Congratulations! LaPorte Community School Corporation and River Forest School Corporation

**Award**: Innovative School Lunch Makeover

**Description**: LaPorte Community School Corporation transformed one of their serving lines into a Creation Station, where students can create their own entrees, giving them control over their meals while providing fresh, flavorful ingredients. The two biggest successes so far have been Create Your Own Sub Sandwich and Create Your Own Burrito Bowl.

**Award**: Innovation in the Preparation of School Meals

**Description**: For the past two years, River Forest has been dedicated to crafting recipes with a strong farm-to-table focus. The initiative has placed a significant emphasis on developing entrées, fresh vegetables and fruits, and complementary side dishes. A core goal has been to reduce the reliance on canned and processed foods, prioritizing instead the delivery of fresh, nutrient-rich meals to students.

We would be delighted if you would join us for a Local Food for Schools celebration cookout. This event is to express our sincere appreciation for the hard work and dedication of our food service directors and staff, the invaluable contributions of our local farmers, and everyone involved in bringing local food to our school communities. RSVP HERE!

RESOURCES

Farm to School Office Hours

Join Farm to School Coordinators from the Indiana Grown for Schools Network and other farm to school and early care stakeholders each month to discuss and find answers to your questions related to local foods. Farm to school office hours are on the third Wednesday of each month from 3:30 - 4:30 PM ET. You can request a monthly calendar hold by emailing Brianna Goode at bgoode@health.in.gov