We have studied school meal program operations for a long time. You can access published reports that go back to school year 1988-89. Each study in this series focuses on topics that are important to program operations at the time. Sometimes the studies also collect information about other child nutrition programs, like the Child and Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program.
We regularly collect information about the school meal programs and how they operate from the people who know best – the state agencies that oversee the programs in each state and territory and the school food authorities that manage the programs locally in one or more schools.
The 2023 Farm to School Census Findings FAQs addresses commonly asked questions about the Farm to School Census.
The 2023 Farm to School Census collected information on farm to school participation by school food authorities (SFAs) in school year 2022–23. Every SFA participating in the National School Lunch Program in the 50 states, Washington, DC, and five territories received an online survey asking about the farm to school activities they participated in, details of their participation, and their perspectives on farm to school.
The 2023 Farm to School Census FAQ addresses common issues for school food authorities responding to the Farm to School Census.
This is a printable SAMPLE of the 2023 Farm to School Census survey intended for school food authorities to review questions in advance of completing their surveys starting October 2023. This sample survey is for the purpose of review only and is not intended to be completed and returned.
The Farm to School Census and Comprehensive Review includes the 2019 Farm to School Census; a descriptive review of the USDA Farm to School grant program; a review of published research on farm to school since 2010; and a set of interviews with school food distributors.
A central resource outlining the USDA Professional Standards requirements for state and local school nutrition professionals.
Professional Standards for school nutrition professionals is a key provision of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. The final rule, published March 2, 2015, requires a minimum amount of annual training hours for all state directors of school nutrition programs, state director of distributing agencies, school nutrition program directors, managers, and staff.
The professional standards learning objectives are a resource for school nutrition professionals and trainers.