Farm-to-school witness tells senators local food incentive yields roughly $3 in local purchases per dollar

Betsy Rosenluth, Farm to School Director at Shelburne Farms, told the Senate Education Committee that the local food incentive administered through the Agency of Education has effectively increased Vermont farm sales to schools.

Rosenluth said the governor’s recommended $500,000 for the local food incentive goes directly to schools to encourage local purchasing and that, according to the Agency of Education report she cited, every incentive dollar is generating about $3 of local-food spending by schools. She contrasted that ongoing incentive — intended to change purchasing behavior at the loading dock — with the Farm to School and Early Childhood grants administered by the Agency of Agriculture, which are one-time awards used for planning, technical assistance, pilot projects and early-childhood initiatives.

Committee members asked whether the programs duplicate other food programs and whether the incentive is the most efficient use of limited state funds. One senator argued for re-prioritizing broad entitlements to focus on infrastructure and housing, while others said farm-to-school work supports local economic development and student nutrition.

The committee rated the grants/priorities variably (members called the grants 'medium' priority for the letter) and agreed to continue moving through the budget; no final appropriation decision was made in this hearing.