| | | | | | | | | Fresno Unified School District hosts celebration of Good Food Leader: Silver achievement |
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| | The Fresno Unified School District Nutrition Services Team welcomed the Center for Good Food Purchasing and local partners to celebrate their Good Food Leader: Silver status achievement on Feb. 13. The event featured a tour of Fresno’s nutrition center facility and an opportunity to try new school menu items served to Fresno USD students. In addition, the offices of State Senators Anna M. Caballero and Shannon Grove presented certificates of recognition to the Fresno USD Nutrition Services Team on behalf of the State of California Senate.
Fresno USD’s Good Food Leader: Silver status recognizes the district’s investment of $3.9 million in food sources within 50 miles of Fresno in support of local vendors and farmers providing high quality and nutritious food, as well as $1.7 million spent with suppliers or distributors with a union contract, representing a nearly 5% increase from the district’s previous program assessment. The district also continued to meet the program’s nutrition target, based on efforts including making fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and whole or minimally processed foods available; implementing community health and nutrition education programming for students and staff; and working with vendors to offer reduced sugar versions of products. The district’s purchasing efforts were supported by state funding from California Department of Education's School Food Best Practice Fund and Kitchen Infrastructure and Training (KIT) Grant and California Department of Food & Agriculture's CA Farm to School Incubator Grant Program, and federal funding from USDA's Local Food for Schools. |
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| | Photo credit: Fresno Unified School District |
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| | The Center for Good Food Purchasing Program Team looks forward to collaborating on milestone celebrations with other GFPP institutions — stay tuned for updates through our Good Food Operators network, and contact us if you’d like our support! |
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| | Center welcomes Chief Program Officer, Impact Manager for Michigan |
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| | The Center for Good Food Purchasing is grateful to welcome Christina Conell to our team as Chief Program Officer and Melanie Wong Tran as Institutional Impact Manager for Michigan.
Christina Conell joins the Center senior leadership team following over 15 years at the US Department of Agriculture, where her experience included managing $1.5 billion of USDA Foods purchases for schools and leading the Office of Community Food Systems’ training and technical assistance efforts related to procurement and policy development. Most recently, she developed and led the USDA Regional Food Business Centers. As Chief Program Officer, Christina oversees the Program Team, which serves as the primary liaison with institutional participants, co-developing implementation strategies informed by data to improve their Program performance, and identifying opportunities for collective action regionally and nationally. In collaboration with our Program, Ecosystem Engagement, Policy, Communications, Development, and Core Mission Support teams, Christina guides our programmatic vision, oversees the development and execution of our core work, and ensures that the Center’s programs remain high-impact, responsive to partners, and aligned with our organizational values and equity commitments.
As a Registered Dietitian dedicated to building equitable and sustainable food systems in Michigan, Melanie Wong Tran, MA, RDN, serves as a primary liaison with Michigan institutions implementing good food purchasing strategies. In her role as Institutional Impact Manager, Melanie provides project management for the Center’s new statewide initiative in Michigan, facilitating program implementation across institutions and collaborating with Center staff to build and support a productive, aligned, changemaking ecosystem of community-based coalitions and institutions. Prior to joining the Center, Melanie spent five years supporting the growth of Michigan’s local food purchasing incentive program, 10 Cents a Meal, and advancing farm to early care and education (Farm to ECE) initiatives in Michigan. |
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| | NSAC Lobby Day highlights urgent farmer needs |
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| | At the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) Lobby Day in Washington, D.C., Center Policy Manager Amy Nelms, Senior Analyst Bella Steinhauer, and Senior Communications Specialist Mary Nguyen joined NSAC members and partners in regional discussions and Hill visits exploring critical needs and solutions across our food system. |
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| | Farmers need further investments in local and regional meat processing programs to support access to markets, and to strengthen their local economies. The bipartisan, bicameral Strengthening Local Processing Act (SLPA, S. 1509/H.R.3076) lays out a well rounded strategy for investment in our small and very small meat processing plants. Supporting the inclusion of SLPA into future farm funding packages will ensure small meat processing plants are able to help create stronger local and regional livestock and poultry markets, and meet farmer demand for these services.
Federal nutrition programs are intended to purchase from domestic farmers but the bidding structure has prevented small and mid-sized farmers from having a fair shot at competing. The Strengthening Local Food Security Act in the Senate and the Local Farmers Feeding our Communities Act in the House outline pathways to create permanent programs that support the livelihood of small, family-owned farms while putting healthy, whole foods in school cafeterias and other institutions in even the most rural communities.
Farmers and ranchers are at a moment of crisis, facing uncertainty more than seven years removed from the enactment of the 2018 Farm Bill and with only an insufficient Farm Bill before the House Agriculture Committee. Anchor markets created through strengthened linkages to institutional purchasing and state-level policy represent feasible opportunities to protect farmers and sustain a just agricultural economy.
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| | | | | Check our Policy Page for updates on issues
related to Good Food policies and legislation. |
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| | Inside the GFPP Ecosystem: Updates, New Resources & Upcoming Events |
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| | Via New York Now from wmht |
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| Advocates and community leaders from the NY Good Food Purchasing Coalition raised their voices for the Good Food NY bill (S.7638B / A.8091B) Advocacy Day earlier this month in Albany, NY. New York Now’s coverage of food insecurity and food systems in the state includes a look at why now is the time for crucial policy reform through the Good Food NY bill (see minute 10:35.) |
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| | | | Growing Justice Fund awards nearly $5M to 38 community-led initiatives supporting values-based good food purchasing |
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| The Growing Justice Fund has announced the award of 38 Planning Grants and Implementation Grants ranging from $10,000 to $250,000 in support of projects that strengthen engagement with community-serving anchor institutions that hold significant purchasing power and can drive meaningful economic and social benefits for historically marginalized communities.
The current cycle grantees, which include Black Farmers United-NYS, Community Food Advocates, Food Chain Workers Alliance, Los Angeles Food Policy Council, Pittsburgh Food Policy Council, and Real Food Challenge, “reflect the strength, creativity, and leadership of communities building food systems rooted in equity and self-determination,” said Ricardo Tonatiuh Rocha, Growing Justice Fund.
“These 38 organizations are advancing values-based purchasing in ways that center community needs, honor cultural foodways, and create lasting pathways for economic opportunity. This funding represents the collective commitment to support the impactful work these grantees will lead in the year ahead.”
For more information including a full list of grantees, visit growingjusticefund.org |
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| | | | | “New Menu Item Alerts! Farber High School taste testing was a hit! Staff & students are hyped about our Chicken Meatball Subs and Orange Chicken wraps & salads! Fresh, flavorful, and officially on the menu now!” |
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| Do you purchase food for a K-12 district, hospital, higher ed institution, or other publicly funded organization — or know someone who does? |
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| Please take (or share) this short survey on institutional procurement by the end of March. Created by Nourish Colorado and the Colorado Food Systems Advisory Council, this survey will help identify opportunities and challenges in sourcing from local producers. Participants will be entered into a raffle for one of twenty $50 gift cards. Results will inform statewide legislation, support institutions in strengthening local food economies, and contribute to a publicly available summary report. Responses are anonymous and reported only by institution type. Questions? Contact policyintern@nourishcolorado.org |
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| | | 2026 Chicago Food Justice Summit March 11-12 online, March 13 in-person at the South Shore Cultural Center |
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| | “Registration is now open for the 21st Annual Chicago Food Justice Summit! This annual gathering brings together community voices, lived experience, and bold ideas to advance food justice across Chicago and beyond. Pull up, bring a friend, and be part of the movement for food justice. We can’t wait to gather with you. Registration is FREE and open to all!” |
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| | | Chicago Food Policy Action Council Emerging Leaders Breakfast Friday, March 13, 9-10 a.m. at the South Shore Cultural Center |
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| | “This gathering is designed for folks who are early in their food systems journey and ready to grow. If you see yourself stepping into deeper leadership, strategy, or decision-making in the near future… this space is for you.”
“To attend, you’ll need to be registered for the Summit and once the agenda goes live add the Emerging Leaders Breakfast to your Summit journey.” |
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| | | The Berkeley Food Institute and Berkeley School of Journalism will host a conversation on ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and the future of healthy food systems on March 11, 2026, from 5-6:30 p.m. at David Brower Center Auditorium (2150 Allston Way, Berkeley, California 94704). Through their diverse perspectives, the speakers will explore what a healthy and equitable food future could look like for Californians in school, and beyond. |
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| | The Food Justice for Kids Prize, powered by Newman’s Own Foundation, Humanitix, The Henry P. Kendall Foundation, and the Hunger to Health Collaboratory, will award grants up to $100K each, over 2 years, to as many as 14 nonprofits, Tribes, schools, and school districts in the United States and its territories working to ensure all children can access, learn about, and engage with nutritious, culturally relevant food at school and in communities. |
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| | Join the Healthy Food in Institutions team at Nourish Colorado as they discuss their process for developing and launching the Flow of Food dashboard. Nourish Colorado will highlight successes, lessons learned, and real-world use cases as inspiration for other organizations exploring similar tools. |
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