School food programs nourish students and shape lifelong eating habits, yet many use ingredients that travel thousands of miles, losing freshness and nutritional value along the way. 

By sourcing food locally, schools can offer healthier meals, support local producers, and reduce environmental impact. Investing in local food isn’t just about what’s on the plate — it’s about building stronger communities, fostering sustainability, and ensuring that every child has access to fresh, nutritious food. 

Over the last decade, the USDA has prioritized local food in school meal programs through grants and initiatives that aim to boost regional food resilience and expand access to healthy meals. While these grants help, most school districts have tight budgets and limited resources.

Lloyd Whitecotton, food service director for South Routt School District (Soroco), explains, “Soroco gets a grant of about $1,500 a year which we use to purchase local beef and fresh fruit and vegetables in the fall – a fraction of what we need in a school year.”

• While SOROCO has used grant funding to purchase local beef from Yampa-based Snowden Meats, the remaining 95% of beef SOROCO uses comes free to the district from the USDA. 
• Hayden’s school district buys ground beef from Snowden Meats using a Colorado Department of Education Local Foods grant. When possible, they also buy Colorado-grown products like mushrooms, potatoes, corn, peaches, and more through their main distributor.
• In Steamboat, the district is not currently sourcing local foods.  

Raising awareness through Ag Appreciation Week

The Yampa Valley Community Ag Alliance (CAA) hopes to bring attention to the benefits of sourcing food locally. As part of their Ag Appreciation Week, the CAA has coordinated the donation of over 300 pounds of beef to local school districts, thanks to local producers Strawberry Park Ranch and Snowden Meats. 

“When we support our local ag community, we support the families and friends of our very own students,” said Chris Poole, food service director for the Hayden School District. 

Why local is better

Research shows that local food can be more nutritious due to freshness and minimal processing. For every dollar spent on local products, studies estimate there is an additional $0.32-0.90 worth of additional local economic activity. And when producers sell to consumers locally, they feel a greater sense of recognition and well-being.

Hayden’s Chris Poole believes the health benefits of local ingredients are unmatched.

“These products were raised, cultivated and processed here in the Valley. We know the producers, and the processors, and buying direct from the source allows our students to understand the food chain process from farm to plate,” Poole said.

For Soroco’s Lloyd Whitecotton, it’s about quality.

“The USDA beef is frozen and has a bit more fat, while the local l beef is fresh and a bit leaner,” he said.

“It’s important for people to know where their food comes from,” added Sarajane Snowden. “The most exciting thing about selling beef to schools is the opportunity to tell our story and share our heritage of raising beef in the mountains.”