USDA distributed the Farm to School Census (the Census) to 13,133 public school districts in the United States, 9,887 of which completed the Census. 4,322 districts operating approximately 40,328 schools with 23,513,237 students in attendance are bringing the farm to school.

Generally the information presented below is derived from only those…

This study examines consumers' willingness-to-pay for locally grown fresh produce under five definitions of "local," including a generic term "locally grown" and four geographic intervals: multistate, state, regional, and county. A survey of 482 area residents in Evansville, Indiana, was conducted to examine how estimated price premiums vary with…

Consumer demand for local food, including local meat and poultry, has risen in recent years. To sell meat, farmers need access to appropriately scaled processing facilities with the skills, inspection status, and reliability to prepare these products safely, legally, and to customer specifications. This report explores this multi-faceted problem…

Food that is locally produced, marketed, and consumed—termed “local food”—is not a particularly new concept in the U.S. food system. Local food and its proponents have origins in the “Slow Food” movement and organic agriculture, and it is common to hear arguments for a relocalization of the food system. Yet recent interest in local food suggests…

This comprehensive overview of local food systems explores alternative definitions of local food, estimates market size and reach, describes the characteristics of local consumers and producers, and examines early indications of the economic and health impacts of local food systems. There is no consensus on a definition of “local” or “local food…