State Procurement Innovation Spotlight Series: Investing USDA State Administrative Expense Funds in Farm to School
November 12, 2026 2:00PM - 3:00PM
Join this webinar to hear how states are creatively investing their existing State Administrative Expense (SAE) funds in farm to school. USDA’s Food and Nutrition Administration provides formula-based SAE funds to state agencies to support administration and oversight of federal child nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, and the food distribution program for schools, among others. In 2015, a USDA memo expressly authorized SAE funds to support farm to school activities. Many agencies use these funds to build robust, thriving farm to school programs in their states by supporting coordinator positions, conducting procurement training, hosting promotional activities, and more. Several states have even subcontracted with land-grant universities and nonprofit partners for this work. This topic is especially timely following the recent sunset of the USDA Farm to School State Formula Grant.
Featuring:
- Cara Alexander, Arizona Department of Education
- Crystal Besse, Louisiana State University AgCenter
- Cheryl Bilinski, Cornell University Cooperative Extension (New York)
- Denise Courtney, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
This session is a part of the National Farm to School Procurement Community of Practice project, which is co-facilitated by National Farm to School Network, Cornell Cooperative Extension Harvest New York, and Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems.
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