This text of Louisiana § 17:195.1 (Louisiana Farm to School Program) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.
§195.1. Louisiana Farm to School Program
A. The legislature finds that:
(1)Farm to school programs increase student access to healthy, locally grown fruits,
vegetables, and other agricultural products.
(2)A state farm to school program will link Louisiana schools and farmers in order
to provide school children with fresh and minimally processed agricultural products for
inclusion in school meals and snacks, promote healthy eating habits, and increase the market
for locally produced fruits, vegetables, and other agricultural products.
(3)Farm to school programs increase student awareness of the importance of
agricultural activities through active learning opportunities such as farm visits, cooking
demonstrations, tasting demonstrations, and school gardening and composting programs, and
i
Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI
§195.1. Louisiana Farm to School Program
A. The legislature finds that:
(1) Farm to school programs increase student access to healthy, locally grown fruits,
vegetables, and other agricultural products.
(2) A state farm to school program will link Louisiana schools and farmers in order
to provide school children with fresh and minimally processed agricultural products for
inclusion in school meals and snacks, promote healthy eating habits, and increase the market
for locally produced fruits, vegetables, and other agricultural products.
(3) Farm to school programs increase student awareness of the importance of
agricultural activities through active learning opportunities such as farm visits, cooking
demonstrations, tasting demonstrations, and school gardening and composting programs, and
integrate nutrition and agricultural education into the school curriculum.
B.(1) The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, in collaboration with the
Department of Agriculture and Forestry, shall develop and implement a farm to school
program, to be administered by the state Department of Education, for the purpose of
assisting schools and school food service personnel to identify and utilize all available
resources to support and increase the use of locally grown or raised agricultural products in
school nutrition programs.
(2) The Department of Education and the Department of Agriculture and Forestry
shall collaboratively:
(a) Provide an inventory of farming operations throughout the state by region that
links schools and school districts with farmers through the use of the LSU AgCenter's
membership in the MarketMaker network.
(b) Provide guidance to local schools to develop relationships with local farmers to
support requests that specific crops be produced for use in school nutrition programs.
(c) Encourage schools and school districts to include local farmers, food processors,
and suppliers when procuring food products that fall under the Federal Small Purchase
Threshold set by 41 U.S.C. 403(11).
(d) Disseminate specific farm to school procurement guidelines for farmers and
schools regarding contracting with schools and school districts and school food safety and
liability insurance requirements.
(e) Disseminate information to schools and school districts regarding the proper
equipment required to prepare and process fresh food onsite.
(f) Create a plan to integrate classroom and hands-on activities related to agriculture,
food, health, and nutrition into the school curricula.
(g) Develop a Louisiana Farm to School Handbook to provide guidance and
resources to schools and farmers and other producers of agricultural products to promote the
use of local and regionally produced foods in school nutrition programs and to develop and
implement a successful farm to school program.
C. The state Department of Education and the state Department of Agriculture and
Forestry shall consult with the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, the Southern
University Agricultural Center, the Louisiana Farm to School Alliance, and any other
appropriate resource or stakeholder group in implementing the provisions of this Section.
D. Implementation of the provisions of this Section shall be subject to the
appropriation of funds by the legislature or the availability of any other federal funding,
grants, gifts, or public or private donations which may be used for coordination of resources
for the farm to school program.