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| | | | | Fresno Unified School District levels up to Good Food Leader: Silver status |
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| Fresno Unified School Districtβs completion of their school year 2023-2024 Good Food Purchasing Assessment documented the district has earned Good Food Leader: Silver seal for outstanding commitment and excellence in the program, including progress across values categories and implementation of additional purchasing strategies. |
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| Fresno USD met baseline targets in three value categories: Local and Community Based Economies, Environmental Sustainability, and Valued Workforce. The district invested $5.4 million in qualifying local items, keeping those funds in the local economy and prioritizing more resilient supply chains. Of that local spend, $3.9 million was spent with suppliers within 50 miles of Fresno, showing a commitment to hyperlocal purchasing.
The Fresno Unified School Districtβs commitment to a food system with safe and healthy working conditions included $1.7 million spent with suppliers or distributors with a union contract, representing a 5% increase from their 2021-2022 program assessment. The district also continued to meet the programβs nutrition checklist 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.
Congratulations to the entire team at Fresno USD for their hard work and incredible achievements! Stay tuned for more highlights on how Fresno Unified School District made strategic purchasing decisions and developed thoughtful partnerships to become Good Food Silver leaders. |
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| | | Montgomery County (MD) Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation joins Good Food movement as Bronze leader |
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| The Food Services team at the Montgomery County (MD) Department of Corrections and Rehabilitationβs (MCDOCR) Good Food Purchasing Baseline Assessment for 2023-24 was filled with impressive findings, earning Good Food Leader: Bronze status.
MCDOCRβs local investment β 21.2% of total spend β included sourcing of almost all dairy and bakery products for the year within 250 miles of the facilities. Support of Valued Workforce-aligned businesses accounted for 11.2% of total spend, and robust scratch-cooking efforts led to exceptional rates of whole and minimally processed food purchases within the Community Health and Nutrition values category. Β
With this milestone, Montgomery County DOCR has established themselves as Good Food leaders in the corrections space and collaborated to create a solid foundation to work toward Silver status. The Center is excited to congratulate and continue working with the team on implementing their Good Food Action Plan and supporting the many innovative and industry-leading practices already in place and to come in the future. Β |
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| | Request For Proposals: Data and Internal Workflow Solutions |
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| The Center for Good Food Purchasing seeks a consultant to conduct an organizational review and needs assessment related to our contract and client management, data management, analysis, reporting, and data security systems. The consultant will recommend an integrated course of action that will improve organizational efficiency.
π
Applicants applying by 11:59PT Friday, October 10th, will be given priority consideration, with the RFP open until filled.
β RFP Q&A document
π For more information on this opportunity, please see goodfoodpurchasing.org/rfp-data-and-internal-workflow-solutions |
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| | Southwest Regional Food Business Center look-back highlights impact |
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| Regional Food Business Centers ceased operation nationwide on September 15 after an announcement over the summer that USDA made the decision to discontinue the program. While the Southwest center as we know it will operate under a limited capacity for a few more months, it released a story map featuring work accomplished in California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah over the past two years.
Learn more about our incredible co-grantees: |
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| Good Food Purchasing CA scores major policy victory in San Francisco |
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| Two of our partners in the Good Food Purchasing California Collaborative came together to score a major policy victory in the City of San Francisco. Faced with pressure to eliminate language requiring City agencies to include small and mid-sized farms in their food purchasing plans in the citywide ordinance renewing its commitment to Good Food Purchasing, Community Alliance with Family Farmers provided case studies of how its small and mid-size farms are supporting Bay Area institutions.
Fullwell, our Bay Area policy partner, then shared these case studies to offer evidence that supporting small and mid-sized farms is not just possible, itβs happening. With that evidence in hand, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed the ordinance that includes a commitment to small and mid-sized farm purchasing as well as all of the Good Food Purchasing values.
The ordinance commits City agencies, including county hospitals and jails, to Good Food Purchasing values through 2035. We were thrilled to see our partners coming together to pass an impactful and long-standing commitment to values-based food purchasing that will support California small and mid-sized farm businesses. Go team! |
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| | Coalition of nearly 600 orgs calls on Congress for strong farm bill |
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| The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) and nearly 600 national, state, and local organizations, including the Center for Good Food Purchasing, delivered a joint letter to Congressional leaders on Sept. 22, urging them to aim high toward a farm bill that invests in our mutual prosperity. Addressed to Senate and House leadership as well as Agriculture Committee chairs and ranking members, the letter calls on Congress to address the harmful provisions enacted through the recently passed budget reconciliation bill (P.L. 119-21) and to advance a long overdue farm bill that supports family farmers, rural communities, healthy food access, essential nutrition programs, and more.
βThe decisions made in this farm bill will touch every person in this country,β the letter states. β[We] stand together to say we will only support a farm bill that provides adequate and accessible SNAP benefits to families and individuals; makes our food safer, healthier, and more affordable; supports good, family-sustaining jobs for food workers; supports family farmers and their communities; and ensures our food is produced in ways that are consistent with our values.β
TAKE ACTION Supporters are encouraged to continue amplifying the letterβs significance and demands by sharing directly with your Congressional delegation, with local/national news outlets to request media coverage of the effort, and with networks of others interested in reaching out to their members of Congress. |
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| | | | | | The partial federal government shutdown effective Oct. 1 is anticipated to halt or delay operations and resources across the nation, including the USDAβs ability to serve farmers, ranchers, and stakeholders.
βDuring a shutdown, about 42,000 USDA staff would be furloughed, according to the agencyβs 2025 shutdown contingency plan, roughly half the agencyβs employees,β according to Reutersβ Leah Douglas, P.J. Huffstutter, and Julie Ingwersen. |
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| | | | With grants ranging from $25,000 to $250,000, this opportunity will resource Tribal, Indigenous, Black, Latinx, Asian, and immigrant communities leading and benefiting from efforts to transform institutional food procurement into a values-aligned system that builds community power, equity, and sustainability across the food chain.
Planning Grants (up to $25,000) are designed for organizations in the early stages of project development. These grants support strategic research, stakeholder engagement, coalition-building, feasibility studies, and organizational planningβlaying a strong foundation for future implementation.
Implementation Grants ($50,000β$250,000) are geared toward organizations with a clear project plan and existing partnerships ready to bring their initiatives to life. These awards support the full execution of strategies that transform institutional food procurement and build power and infrastructure within BIPOC and community-led food systems.
Deadline: Applications are due Tuesday, October 14th, at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET. Grant seekers are strongly encouraged to complete theΒ Eligibility QuizΒ by Monday, October 6th, at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET to allow ample time to receive an invitation and submit an application. How to Apply: Interested organizations can download the full RFP, take the eligibility quiz, and visit the Growing Justice Fund website for more information:Β www.growingjustice.org/apply. |
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| | ICYMI: In Case You Missed It |
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| Rahul Anand at Snapfinger Farm
(Photo credit: The Common Market, via the Rockefeller Foundation) |
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| βOver the past five years, through our Good Food Procurement work, The Rockefeller Foundation has partnered with community-based organizations, nonprofits, cities, and regional coalitions across the United States to connect public food purchasing with diet, equity, and climate goals. Together, weβve built models that reimagine how public institutions can help create a more just and sustainable food system. Though this work has so far centered on the United States, its implications are global. Whether in high- or low-income countries, the core conditions for sustainable food procurement are strikingly similar: farmers need infrastructure, stability, and a pathway into public markets; lawmakers need local data to create meaningful policies and ensure impactful implementation; and everyone needs a system that delivers social, environmental, and economic value.β |
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| Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) was honored by the National Association of Counties (NACo) with five National Achievement Awards for innovative, effective county government initiatives including CCDPHβs Good Food Purchasing Program collaboration with the Chicago Food Policy Action Council.
βWe celebrate Cook County Department of Public Healthβs well-deserved awards from NACo,β said Rodger Cooley, Chicago Food Policy Action Council. Β βTheir leadership and collaborations on GFPP efforts have greatly accelerated progress towards the equitable goals of the program. CCDPHβs partnership, including direct financial resources for community, is a model for other counties across the nation.β |
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| Lake Travis Independent School District Food and Nutritional Services was honored with a Certificate of Support from The Common Market Texas for the districtβs 2024 commitment to local food.
By sourcing from local, sustainable farms, LTISD: β’ Supported 11 farms β’ Invested in 7 under-utilized businesses β’ Invested in 8 farms using regenerative practices |
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| | | | Oct. 16, 12 p.m. PT California Crunch Day takes place during Farm to School Month to celebrate California-grown foods served in school meals. Participants are offered local fruits or vegetables to bite into, all at the same time, for a simultaneous βCRUNCH!β, to inspire conversations about where their food comes from and to learn about food system sustainability. The 10th Annual California Crunch, a Community Alliance with Family Farmers-led celebration, will be held on October 16th at noon. It's a great opportunity for schools to connect with local farms to make the most of California's abundance of fresh produce, during fall's bountiful harvest season. |
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| Register your Crunch Day activity to receive: π FREE βCrunch It Munch Itβ stickers mailed to you to place in student meal boxes. π A CA Crunch Guide with tips and procurement resources to organize a Crunch Event. π Links to CA Crunch educational videos that fulfill Supper Enrichment educational requirements for students to view remotely or in classrooms. |
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