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The bill would make permanent a pilot program that connected farmers and school cafeterias in eight states, and expand it to 14 states.
Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden reintroduced a bill Sept. 11 that would, if passed, make it possible for more schools in the U.S. to buy and serve local fruits and vegetables.
Wyden, along with legislators from Vermont, Colorado and Washington, want to make permanent a pilot project from the 2014 Farm Bill that serves eight states, but expanded to serve 14. Wyden and Vermont Sen. Peter Welch originally introduced the bill in 2018. Oregon is already part of the pilot program.
“It’s not rocket science: Healthy foods at school set up kids to be successful in and outside of the classroom,” Wyden, D-Ore., said in a statement. “That’s why I am working to bring fresh foods grown from local farms to school cafeterias in Oregon and across America. This bill ensures that every child – no matter their zip code – has a school lunch that fuels their brains.”
Wyden’s proposed bill, the Local School Foods Expansion Act, would dedicate $25 million annually to the program for five years. Currently, it doesn’t have allocated funds.
The money would allow “states and school food authorities to buy locally grown, fresh fruits and vegetables with existing National School Lunch Program funds” according to a press release.
Coupled with the funding, government officials would also have to do more reporting. The information gathered would assess the impact of the program, both nutritionally and economically as well as investigate the barriers to participation.
The amendment the legislators are proposing would add clauses to the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, first established 79 years ago, but amended many times to establish food access for children in poverty and promote nutritious foods in school meals. It is one of three federal acts that contain the country’s child nutrition programs.
Advocates say the Local School Foods Expansion Act would help states and school districts that were previously relying on a COVID-era program to continue buying from local farmers.
In March 2025, the Trump Administration decided to terminate $660 million in United States Department of Agriculture funding for a program called Local Foods for Schools. The program, started in 2021, initially gave $200 million to states to purchase local food from farmers and ranchers.
