Procuring Local Foods for CACFP

This resource page will help Child Nutrition Program (CNP) operators buy local in compliance with federal programs, like the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). You’ll find a program guide, webinar series, fact sheets, policy memos and more.

In 2024, USDA finalized a new rule to make buying local easier. The rule includes an expansion of the geographic preference option, which now permits child nutrition program operators to use “locally grown,” “locally raised,” or “locally caught” as a specification when procuring unprocessed agricultural products.