We just launched the new Farm to School Census website to help school districts understand how much local food is a part of their children’s meals in school and encourage them to join the movement to buy local, which will not only provide kids with healthier food choices, but improve the local economy, too. Forum One was thrilled to be part of the website build and we are excited for people to use it!

In 2015, USDA conducted its second Farm to School Census to measure progress towards increasing access to local foods in schools. The Census results are now available on the website.

The new website makes it easier than ever to search for information, and see how states and districts are spending money on their schools’ cafeterias. Census data is pulled directly into the website to give a clear view of how much money is being invested in local food with easy-to-understand highlights and data visualizations. You can even learn what percentage of food types (fruit, vegetables, bread) and meals (breakfast, lunch, snacks) falls into district budgets.

This week, the website was introduced at the White House to 200 Mommy bloggers and as well as First Lady, Michelle Obama.

Locate your school district on a map by clicking on your state and then searching by district name to see how spending is taking place. And, if you feel compelled, vote for your district to win a “one-in-a-melon” award!