Agency outlines producers, processors and distribution hurdles to getting local food in school meals

Kentucky Department of Agriculture officials told the agriculture committee that barriers to school procurement of local food go beyond policy and include real-world production, processing and distribution constraints.

"Processors have issues with limited access to USDA inspected processing capacity, school-friendly formats, of further processing, and CNP labeling can be burdensome," Heather Becker, KDA general counsel, told the committee. KDA listed four principal gaps: producers (price points, volume and seasonality), processors (inspected capacity and packaging formats), distribution (aggregation and refrigerated delivery), and schools (equipment, staff time and documentation burdens for federal procurement).

Agency staff described forward contracting — districts committing volumes ahead of season — as a tool to give farmers market certainty, and proposed regional aggregation hubs and cold-storage investments to improve distribution. They said some obstacles are administrative and can be addressed with technical assistance, while others will require capital: "Cold storage is a need that comes up over and over again and will be part of that facility in Rock Castle County," Dana Feldman said, referring to a planned cut/can/freeze facility for local product.

Committee members pressed on coordination among extension offices, transportation costs and the availability of ag-education staff in districts; KDA said they would help districts with grant applications and outreach to local leaders but that many solutions require aligning multiple funding streams and local partnerships.