| | | | | | | | Good Food Leader: Silver school districts celebrate Good Food Purchasing success |
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The Center recently had the honor of recognizing three institutions with Good Food Leader: Silver status for their outstanding Good Food Purchasing Program achievements: District of Columbia Public Schools, Austin Independent School District, and San Francisco Unified School District. In the first of three Silver institution spotlights, we’re pleased share a look at how DC Public Schools has made major purchasing shifts to cultivate a culture of Good Food: |
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DC Public Schools At a Glance (2024-25) |
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In DC Public Schools’ second Good Food Purchasing Program assessment, following a 2017-18 baseline assessment, DCPS met four out of the five value categories and has achieved Good Food Leader: Silver status. The district exceeded the Nutrition Checklist target in Community Health and Nutrition with an impressive score of 81 percent. In addition, half of the district’s total food volume purchased consisted of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, with the district increasing Whole or Minimally Processed purchases by 34 percent as compared to the district’s baseline assessment.
This shift in spend also was evident in the district’s significantly reduced animal product use, with consumption cut by about half through operational changes, expanded plant-based options, and reduced meat portions across the district’s self-operated meal service program and three programs operated with Sodexo, Aramark, and DC Central Kitchen.
DCPS strengthened partnerships across the local food system, directing $3.4M (16.3 percent) of total spend to qualifying local vendors while collaborating with area farms, regional distributors, and DC Central Kitchen to expand opportunities for regional producers and businesses. In addition, the district’s participation in the FRESHFARM FoodPrints program integrates gardening, cooking, and nutrition education into the pre-K-5 curriculum to engage students in learning about and enjoying fresh, local whole foods while bringing science, math, and social studies to life.
District food service leadership achieved this success by setting distinct goals and pursuing strategies in alignment with the D.C. Healthy Schools Act and the Healthy Students Amendment Act of 2018, which encourages and provides schools with dedicated funding to procure food that aligns with Good Food Purchasing Program standards. DCPS’ commitment to transparency with regional stakeholders, including the strong DC Coalition, and this solid policy foundation offer a model for growth and great promise for continued progress. By continuing to build momentum and progress along pathways outlined in their program action plan, DC Public Schools is well positioned to pursue Good Food Leader: Gold status. |
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| | Good Food Operators Field Guide outlines practical strategies, best practices |
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In the newly released Good Food Operators Field Guide, the Center for Good Food Purchasing has gathered practical strategies, best practices, and tips on how partners across our network are bringing Good Food to their communities. This digital resource shares Center Tools & Templates, Peer Examples, and Pro-Tips & Best Practices on:
The Field Guide is intended to grow and evolve as a living document that supports Good Food Operators in crowdsourcing solutions to common challenges. Operators can submit toolkit requests to flag specific needs or reach out to Jon Polley, Center Senior Program Manager, to talk through ideas on how we can work smarter together. |
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| | | Good Food Operators: Gather with community of practice on Oct. 29 |
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Food service providers are encouraged to join us on Thursday, Oct. 29, from 4-5 p.m. ET as we build off the newly released Field Guide with a new approach to learning sessions.
In the words of Jon Polley, Senior Program Manager:
“In the pursuit of Good Food, one thing is for sure: It’s a wild world out there. We’re out charting unmapped paths, navigating complex systems, overcoming barriers, and quite often reaching new heights. Not to mention that you’ve got full-time gigs running operations of all sizes. It can be a lot. So let’s meet back at Good Food Operator Base Camp. Let’s build a community that shares, supports, inspires, and gives us what we need before we set back off down the trail.”
The call on Oct. 29 will feature firsthand insight from school district leaders who have been there, done that, and figured out ways to tackle challenges head-on and propel their institutions to Good Food Leader achievement. Good Food Operators will receive an invitation via email or can contact Jon for more information. |
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| | Center board chair named first managing director of Growing Justice Fund |
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Growing Justice Fund has named Elizabeth J. Reynoso as its first Managing Director. Reynoso, who serves as the Center for Good Food Purchasing Governance Board Chair, brings more than two decades of experience in government, philanthropy, and systems change, including leading procurement-focused wealth equity work at Living Cities. She will lead the Fund's strategy and operations as it advances practitioner-led grantmaking and values-based good food purchasing. |
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| | | Good Food for MI Project partners with Corewell Health to bring local food to patients |
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| A grant of nearly $156,000 from the new Good Food for Michigan Project will help Corewell Health Foundation West Michigan increase the amount of values-aligned, Michigan-grown and produced foods served to patients at three hospitals in St. Joseph, Ludington, and Grand Rapids, MI. Together, these three Corewell Health hospitals serve nearly 5 million meals per year, making them an important partner in expanding access to Michigan-grown foods.
This project grant will not only connect Michigan farmers with patients at Corewell Health, it also will strengthen supply chains and model how other healthcare providers across the state can serve more locally grown, values-aligned food, said Melanie Tran, the Michigan Impact Manager at the Center for Good Food Purchasing.
“Our work with Corewell Health will allow us to assess how shifts to values-based purchasing can uplift agricultural communities while contributing public health benefits,” Tran said. “We will also help Michigan farmers who can provide food for these three Corewell hospitals and other facilities across the state to find footholds in new institutional markets and increase the amount of fresh food served to patients.”
Institutions that collaborate with Good Food for Michigan will work toward increased transparency in their food purchasing and procurement of food that is locally sourced, healthy, fair to farmers and workers, and produced using sustainable and humane practices. Corewell Health joins Bendle Public Schools in Genesee County, the Chippewa Luce Mackinac Community Action Agency in the Upper Peninsula, and Dearborn Public Schools in Wayne County as grant-supported institutions piloting the Good Food Purchasing Program in Michigan. |
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| Monthly Good Food for Michigan office hours |
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| Interested in learning more about Good Food for Michigan? Join Melanie Tran of Center for Good Food Purchasing and May Tsupros of Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems for office hours.
Office hours are a dedicated virtual "open door" space where MI Good Food Stakeholders can drop in for 5 minutes or a whole hour (4-5 p.m. ET) to raise concerns, seek advice, pitch ideas, follow up understanding from webinar content, or seek support with challenges.
Register for Upcoming Office Hours: October 27, 2026 // November 17, 2026 |
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| | | | | | | Sign the Good Food for MI Pledge! |
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| Our network of Good Food buyers, suppliers, and champions is growing across Michigan, and Michiganders are invited to join by signing the Good Food for Michigan Pledge! The pledge is a commitment to taking steps towards Good Food Purchasing, and signing is the best way to get engaged with Good Food for Michigan efforts including events, educational activities, and opportunities to find new ways to expand access to Good Food across the state. |
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| | After tense markup, Farm Bill’s true test awaits on the Senate floor |
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| The Senate Agriculture Committee’s passage of the updated Agricultural Act of 2026 succeeded Sept. 16 on a party-line vote, 12-11.
“Today’s passage is a step forward, although the work to craft a farm bill that levels the playing field for family farmers and makes bold new investments is just beginning,” said Mike Lavender, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) Policy Director. “Farmers and ranchers are facing steep challenges – from rising costs to unstable and uncertain markets – and status quo farm policy is not a serious solution. They need and deserve a farm bill that invests new, permanent funding across all titles rather than picking winners and losers.
“NSAC appreciates the scattered positives in this bill – including mandatory funding for local food programs – yet remains committed to working toward a bipartisan farm bill that eliminates deep cuts to popular, oversubscribed conservation programs, levels the playing field for family farmers, and invests meaningful, permanent resources in building domestic markets for local and regional farmers.” |
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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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| | Midwest & Mountain Plains Farm to School Summit convenes regional, national leaders on sustaining and scaling local procurement |
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| At the Midwest & Mountain Plains Farm to School Summit, Center Chief Program Officer Christina Conell joined teams representing more than two dozen state agencies and national organizations for a two-day gathering in St. Paul, MN.
Hosted by the Minnesota Departments of Agriculture and Education and the Nebraska Department of Education and sponsored by the Life Time Foundation, the summit provided an opportunity to experience Farm to School in Minnesota, connect with other state-level Farm to School professionals advancing similar strategies, and think collectively about how to expand local procurement in schools through creative, sustainable approaches. In addition, participants visited Ferndale Market turkey farm and Seeds Farm, a diversified vegetable operation, to learn more about how partnerships with institutions such as Minneapolis Public Schools are shaping businesses.
Christina collaborated with a group of national organizations including Chef Ann Foundation, North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems, National Farm to School Network, National Farmers Union, Scratchworks, and Life Time Foundation, who explored strategies on how to effectively support state agencies as Farm to School State Formula Grant funding draws to a close. |
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| | | Report examines animal proteins in school meals, pathways toward healthier, higher-quality school food |
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| “Beyond the Nugget: The Hidden Health Risks of Industrially Produced Animal Proteins–and the Path Toward Better School Lunches,” a new report by Friends of the Earth and Chef Ann Foundation, finds school lunch entrées are dominated by processed, meat- and cheese-laden foods sourced from large-scale industrial supply chains. A companion resource, “Building a Better Tray: How School Districts are Cooking with Healthier, Higher Quality Proteins,” translates school districts’ experiences into practical strategies that school nutrition professionals can adapt to their own communities, whether looking to introduce more plant-based proteins, cook more from scratch, improve procurement, or simply serve more nutritious and delicious entrees. |
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| | | | Photo credit: Community Alliance with Family Farmers, Fresh Approach, California Food Banks |
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| | “What happens when we invest in local food systems? A lot.
”Our new Farms Together “Impact Report” tells the story:
📍 52 counties 🌱 888 small farms 👩🌾 $52M invested in local growers 🥕 20M lbs of fresh produce distributed
”And the impact goes beyond the numbers. The report shares lessons on how to sustain values-based procurement—and keep investing in local food systems beyond a single funding cycle.
”📖 Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/ggiqK68G
”Huge thanks to our partners — California Food Banks™ and Fresh Approach — and to every farmer, food hub, food bank, and partner who made this work possible.”
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| | Photo credit: Edible Chicago |
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| The Public Plate: How Public Food Purchasing Can Advance Dignity, Health, and a More Equitable Food System in Illinois
by Sarah-Jayne Ashenhurst, Edible Chicago |
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| “Consider the difference between the food described in Impact Justice’s report [‘Eating Behind Bars: Ending the Hidden Punishment of Food in Prisons’] and a meal made in alignment with Good Food values. Instead of spoiled meats, insufficient calories, and highly processed, prohibitively-priced commissary products, imagine a meal using ingredients produced with sustainable and humane practices, from companies fueling local economies while providing adequate nutrition, great flavor, and cultural relevance. Imagine the change in sense of value and dignity that would bring to residents. Expand that notion to every school, every senior housing complex, every hospital system, and you start to understand the scale of impact that is possible. … “With collective advocacy, shared purpose, and a commitment to centering the inherent dignity of every human being, we can shape a food system that truly works for everyone.” |
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| | Call for Proposals: Help shape the 2027 Northeast Farm to Institution Summit |
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| Deadline: October 12, 2026 |
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| Farm to Institution New England (FINE) and the Vermont Farm to School and Early Childhood (FTSEC) Network are now accepting session proposals for the seventh biennial Northeast Farm to Institution Summit, April 14–16, 2027, in Burlington, Vermont.
This year's theme is Connected Systems, Collective Impact. A strong regional food system is a web of people, communities, institutions, infrastructure, and the relationships that hold it together — and the stronger those connections, the more resilient the whole becomes. The F2iSummit is where that web gets built in person.
The program is created by the network, for the network. If you have a skill to teach, a story to tell, a hard question to work on together, or a place worth visiting, this is your invitation.
Proposals are welcome for: 2-hour strategy sessions: facilitated, reflective conversations on farm to institution and food system challenges or strategies 1-hour sessions: information sharing with real engagement 10-minute lightning talks: a succinct update, lesson learned, or success story Field trips: place-based sessions showcasing the greater Burlington area food system and farm to institution work
Have an idea that doesn't fit those formats? Speaker suggestions, side meetings, topics you hope get covered, arts to integrate — the form has room for all of it.
Deadline: October 12, 2026. Presenters receive a 30% registration discount, and a limited number of speaking stipends are available by request. |
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| | | | New York State Buyer-Supplier Mixer to gather food system partners |
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| October 28-29, Syracuse, NY |
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| The New York State Buyer-Supplier Mixer – taking place in Syracuse, NY, on October 28-29th, 2026 – will bring together farmers, food producers, distributors, institutional buyers, and other food system partners to build relationships, explore new opportunities, and share practical strategies for moving more local, values-aligned food into institutional markets – while advancing a food supply chain that supports local farmers and producers, workers and communities, and access to nutritious food.
Through workshops, panels, roundtable discussions, and a Supplier Expo, participants will learn from one another, explore institutional market opportunities, and connect with new and existing partners.
For Suppliers: Whether you’re already selling to institutions or looking to enter the institutional market, the NYS Buyer Supplier Mixer will give you a chance to get in the room with the people shaping institutional purchasing. Meet buyers, introduce your products, learn what institutions need, and build relationships with potential partners who can help you navigate and grow within institutional markets.
For Institutional Buyers & Food Service Leaders: Looking to strengthen your local and values-based food purchasing? The NYS Buyer Supplier Mixer will connect you directly with values-aligned, local farmers, producers, distributors, and other food business professionals interested in supplying institutional buyers. You’ll have the opportunity to exchange ideas and strategies with other institutional buyers, discover new and prospective producers and suppliers, and make connections that can help turn your purchasing goals into action.
Registration is also open for the free Supplier Pre-Mixer Workshop taking place on October 9! |
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