VA makes it easier for schools to serve fresh, local food

Del. Kaye Kory (D-38th District) announced a collaborative effort March 1 to encourage schools and local governments to use fresh, locally grown food in their cafeterias by simplifying and streamlining the purchase process.

“Foods grown locally are fresher, better-tasting, and often more nutritious than foods from faceless factory farms thousands of miles away,” says Kory, who represents Annandale and Falls Church in the General Assembly. “If we want our students to make healthier choices at school, we have to do all we can to offer the best products.”

Kory worked with Sen. Emmett Hanger of Mt. Solon (R-24th District) to eliminate the barriers procurement officials face when trying to buy fresh foods from local sources. At the legislators’ behest, the Virginia Department of General Services has developed a series of templates and recommended practices designed to facilitate purchases from and contracts with local farmers and wholesalers. The department will present a series of workshops around the state on the new procedures.