Farm-to-School programs are expanding across New Hampshire, according to a new report, but the cost of local food is still a barrier for many schools.
Stacey Purslow of New Hampshire Farm-to-School says the number of farms selling food to schools has tripled to 60 over the last three years. She says schools are buying a wider variety of products.
Purslow: We started out with apples in New Hampshire but now they get tomatoes, and cucumbers and lettuce, and corn and broccoli, and cabbage and potatoes and eggs and maple syrup and beef.
Most schools spend between $100 and $500 dollars on local food. 26 percent of participating schools say that high cost is a barrier to buying local.
Other obstacles included not enough staff to handle fresh food, not enough refrigerator space, and not enough time to connect with farmers.
