F2SC - School Food Authority Food Service Directors, respondents

Attachment K Farm to School Census Questionnaire Screen Shots

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Farm to School Census
Questionnaire Screen Shots
Farm to School Census

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond
to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information
collection is 0536-nnnn (expires [insert date]). The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 9
minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the
data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. This information collection is conducted under the authority
of 7 U.S.C. 427.

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Welcome to the Farm to School Census! 

We know this year has been even busier than usual, and we deeply appreciate your time. 

Your assistance in carrying out the Farm to School Census is vital for allocating grant funding and technical assistance for Farm to School programs in your State that support local and regional economies and 
encourage healthy food choices. 

Before you start, a few important reminders: 


Please complete the questionnaire ‐ even if you don’t buy any locally‐produced food – we need your response to estimate what • percent of school districts ARE buying locally‐produced food. 


If you need assistance, please call the Farm to School Census Help line at [insert number]. 


The questionnaire has been kept as short as possible and should take about 20 minutes if you have a local procurement program and only 5 minutes if you do not have one. 


A few questions ask for the total value of food purchases from 2011‐12, and what percent of those purchases were locally produced. Estimates are perfectly acceptable, so please don’t spend excessive 
amounts of time doing the calculations. That said, if you already have that information, it will help to have it handy before you start. 


If you experience technical difficulties or would rather complete the questionnaire on paper, just print out the file attached to your email invitation, fill it out, and return it by fax to [insert number]. 


You don’t need to complete the survey in one sitting—your responses will be saved if your browser is set to allow cookies, if you use the same computer each session, and if you clicked “Next” to store your 
data for that page. When you exit before completing the survey and re‐enter later, you will land on the next page to be completed—keep going and be sure to click “Next” to store your responses. 

If you prefer to disable your browser’s cookies, you can still take the survey, but you won’t be able to exit and re‐enter the survey (if you exit without completing the survey, your responses won’t be saved). 


The ERS website does not collect, store, or share any information except that needed to facilitate the survey transaction. Please see the Privacy Policy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. To review the 
privacy policy of the SurveyMonkey survey instrument, or for more information about how cookies are used by SurveyMonkey (or how to remove/disable browser cookies), please click on the following 
links: 
•
SurveyMonkey’s privacy policy 
•
How SurveyMonkey uses cookies 


The questionnaire does not include any personal information. However, we must inform you that your responses are not confidential and are not covered by the Confidential Information Protection and 
Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002. Your responses will be used to create a publicly accessible map of all school districts. USDA will treat all information gathered in accordance with the Freedom of Information 
Act (5 U.S.C. 552). 

•
Please also note that USDA has requested contact information for SFAs in each state in order to construct a list frame to identify which SFAs have responded to the Farm to School Census and to contact a 
sample of non‐respondents to request completion of an abridged set of questions.  The list frame will be retained after the Farm to School Census is completed for use in frame building and other statistical 
activities conducted by USDA or other federal statistical agencies.  
Again, many thanks! 
Deborah Kane 
National Director, USDA Farm to School Program 

School District Identification: Please type the name of your school district (without abbreviation) 

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Farm to School Census

Please type the 5 digit ZIPCODE of your school district's mailing address

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Please type the ID number assigned to your school district by your State Agency (if known)

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Farm to School Census

SKIP PATTERNS:
"Yes" skips to page 19.
"No, but started activities in 2012/13 school year" proceeds to page 6.
"No, but plan to start activities in the future" skips to page 10.
"No activities currently and no plans" skips to page 14.
"I don't know" skips to page 17.

Farm to School activities generally center around procurement of local or regional foods and food, agriculture or nutrition-based
educational activities such as but not limited to:
• Serving local food products in school meals and snacks
• Serving local food products in classrooms (snacks, taste tests, educational tools)
• Conducting educational activities related to local foods such as farmers in the classroom and culinary education focused on
local foods; field trips to farms, farmers' markets, or food processing facilities; and educational sessions for parents and
community members
• Creating and tending school gardens (growing edible fruits and vegetables)
Based on the definition above, did your district or any schools in your district participate in Farm to School activities during the
2011/2012 school year?
Yes
No, but started activities in 2012/2013 school year
No, but plan to start activities in the future
No activities currently and no plans
I don't know

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Farm to School Census

Are you aware of the “geographic preference” option within USDA procurement rules that allows districts to state a preference
for local products in the specifications for bids on minimally processed agricultural products and fish?
Yes
No
I don't know

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Farm to School Census

What activities are you starting this year? (check all that apply)
Serving locally produced foods in the cafeteria
Holding taste testing/demos of locally produced foods in the cafeteria, classroom, or other school-related setting
Using cafeteria food coaches (e.g. adults or students in the cafeteria encouraging kids to eat health/local foods)
Conducting edible school gardening or orchard activities
Serving products from school-based gardens or school-based farms in the cafeteria
Holding taste testing/demos of product from school-based gardens or school-based farms in the cafeteria, classroom or other school-related setting
Conducting student field trips to farms
Having farmer(s) visit the cafeteria, classroom, or other school-related setting
Promoting local efforts through themed or branded promotions (e.g. Harvest of the Month, Local Day, Taste of Washington, etc.)
Promoting locally produced foods at school in general (e.g. via cafeteria signs, posters, newsletters, etc.)
Generating media coverage local foods in schools (e.g. press interviews or other activities that resulted in local coverage)
Hosting community events (e.g. invited parents to lunch, corn shucking contests, etc.)
Celebrating Farm to School Month (October)
Integrating farm to school concepts into educational curriculum (math, science, language arts, etc.)
Other (please specify)

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Farm to School Census

How does your district define "local" as it relates to your food procurement?
Same city/county
Produced within a 50-mile radius
Produced within a 100-mile radius
Produced within a 200-mile radius
Produced within a day's drive
Produced within the State
Produced within the region
Geographic along with other restrictions
Other (please specify)

If you answered "produced within the region," please describe your definition of region:

If you answered "Geographic along with other restrictions," please specify other restrictions:

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THANK YOU for answering this questionnaire!
For more information on starting or expanding farm to school activities, please see the National Farm to School Network at
http://www.farmtoschool.org or go to USDA's Farm to School website at http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/F2S/.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact:
Deborah Kane, National Director, Farm to School Program, USDA
Phone: 1-800-555-5555
Email

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Farm to School Census

Are you aware of the “geographic preference” option within USDA procurement rules that allows districts to state a preference
for local products in the specifications for bids on minimally processed agricultural products and fish?
Yes
No
I don't know

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Farm to School Census

What activities do you plan to start in the future? (check all that apply)
Serving locally produced foods in the cafeteria
Holding taste testing/demos of locally produced foods in the cafeteria, classroom or other school-related setting
Using cafeteria food coaches (e.g. adults or students in the cafeteria encouraging kids to eat healthy/local foods)
Conducting edible school gardening or orchard activities
Serving products from school-based gardens or school-based farms in the cafeteria
Holding taste testing/demos of product from school-based gardens or school-based farms in the cafeteria, classroom or other school-related setting
Conducting student field trips to farms
Having farmer(s) visit the cafeteria, classroom or other school-related setting
Promoting local efforts through themed or branded promotions (e.g. Harvest of the Month, Local Day, Taste of Washington, etc.)
Promoting locally produced foods at school in general (e.g. via cafeteria signs, posters, newsletters, etc.)
Generating media coverage local foods in schools (e.g. press interviews or other activities that resulted in local coverage)
Hosting community events (e.g. invited parents to lunch, corn shucking contests, etc.)
Celebrating Farm to School Month (October)
Integrating farm to school concepts into educational curriculum (math, science, language arts, etc.)
Other (please specify)

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When do you plan to start?

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Farm to School Census

THANK YOU for answering this questionnaire!
For more information on starting or expanding farm to school activities, please see the National Farm to School Network at
http://www.farmtoschool.org or go to USDA's Farm to School website at http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/F2S/.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact:
Deborah Kane, National Director, Farm to School Program, USDA
Phone: 1-800-555-5555
Email

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Exit this survey

Farm to School Census

Are you aware of the “geographic preference” option within USDA procurement rules that allows districts to state a preference
for local products in the specifications for bids on minimally processed agricultural products and fish?
Yes
No
I don't know

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Farm to School Census

Are any of the following considered to be problems in procuring local products or reasons why your district does not purchase more local
products? (Please check all that apply.)
Hard to find year-round availability of key items
Local items not available from primary vendors
Vendors for local items don't offer a broad range of products
Higher prices
Unstable product prices
Lack of reliability in delivering ordered items
Lack of compliance with your institution's purchasing regulations & policies
Lack of availability of processed/precut products
Hard to find new suppliers/growers or distributors
Hard to get information about product availability
Hard to place orders with vendors
Getting on-time deliveries
Getting product delivered that meets your quality requirements and other specs, such as size
Having quantity delivered equal to quantity ordered
Resolving problem deliveries
Inability to pay farmers according to farmers’ needs due to school district payment procedures
Other (please specify)

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Farm to School Census

THANK YOU for answering this questionnaire!
For more information on starting or expanding farm to school activities, please see the National Farm to School Network at
http://www.farmtoschool.org or go to USDA's Farm to School website at http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/F2S/.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact:
Deborah Kane, National Director, Farm to School Program, USDA
Phone: 1-800-555-5555
Email

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Exit this survey

Farm to School Census

Are you aware of the “geographic preference” option within USDA procurement rules that allows districts to state a preference
for local products in the specifications for bids on minimally processed agricultural products and fish?
Yes
No
I don't know

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Exit this survey

Farm to School Census

THANK YOU for answering this questionnaire!
For more information on starting or expanding farm to school activities, please see the National Farm to School Network at
http://www.farmtoschool.org or go to USDA's Farm to School website at http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/F2S/.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact:
Deborah Kane, National Director, Farm to School Program, USDA
Email

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Farm to School Census

To the best of your knowledge, please check the activities that any of your district’s schools engaged in during 2011-12 (check
all that apply)
Served locally produced foods in the cafeteria
Held taste testing/demos of locally produced foods in the cafeteria, classroom or other school-related setting
Used cafeteria food coaches (e.g. adults or students in the cafeteria encouraging kids to eat healthy/local foods)
Conducted edible school gardening or orchard activities
Served products from school-based gardens or school-based farms in the cafeteria
Held taste testing/demos of product from school-based gardens or school-based farms in the cafeteria, classroom or other school-related setting
Conducted student field trips to farms
Had farmer(s) visit the cafeteria, classroom or other school-related setting
Promoted local efforts through themed or branded promotions (e.g. Harvest of the Month, Local Day, Taste of Washington, etc.)
Promoted locally produced foods at school in general (e.g. via cafeteria signs, posters, newsletters, etc.)
Generated media coverage local foods in schools (e.g. press interviews or other activities that resulted in local coverage)
Hosted community events (e.g. invited parents to lunch, corn shucking contests, etc.)
Celebrated Farm to School Month (October 2011)
Integrated farm to school concepts into educational curriculum (math, science, language arts, etc.)
Other (please specify)

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Farm to School Census

During the 2011/12 school year, what age groups were targeted for Farm to School activities? Please check all that apply.
Pre-K
K through 5th grade
6th grade through 8th grade
9th grade through 12th grade
Other (please specify)

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Farm to School Census

To the best of your knowledge, approximately how many schools participated in any Farm to School activities during the
2011/12 school year?

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To the best of your knowledge, approximately how many schools had edible school gardens during the 2011/12 school year?

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Farm to School Census

How does your district define "local" as it relates to your food procurement?
Same city/county
Produced within a 50-mile radius
Produced within a 100-mile radius
Produced within a 200-mile radius
Produced within a day's drive
Produced within the State
Produced within the region
Geographic along with other restrictions
Other (please specify)

If you answered "produced within the region," please describe your definition of region

If you answered "Geographic along with other restrictions," please specify other restrictions:

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Farm to School Census

Are you aware of the “geographic preference” option within USDA procurement rules that allows districts to state a preference
for local products in the specifications for bids on minimally processed agricultural products and fish?
Yes
No
I don't know

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Farm to School Census

During the 2011-2012 school year, has your school district used the geographic preference option in order to purchase
minimally processed foods that have been locally grown, raised, or produced?
Yes
No
I don't know

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Farm to School Census

Please indicate whether your district or any schools in your district used local products IN ANY FORM (fresh, minimally
processed, or processed) for any of the following Federal nutrition programs during the 2011/2012 school year (check all that
apply):
Breakfast
Lunch
Supper
Snacks
Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program
Summer meals (i.e., meals in the Summer Food Service Program, in Seamless Summer, or in the NLSP under accredited summer school programs)

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Farm to School Census

For the 2011/12 school year, please indicate whether your district obtained local foods DIRECTLY from the following sources:
(check all that apply):
Direct from individual food producers (i.e. farmers, fishers, ranchers)
Direct from farmer, rancher or fisher cooperatives
Direct from farmers markets
Via a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model
Direct from food processors and manufacturers

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Farm to School Census

For the 2011/12 school year, please indicate whether your district obtained local foods from any of the following INTERMEDIARY
sources: (check all that apply):
Distributors
Food buying cooperative
Food service management companies
DoD Fresh Program vendors
USDA Foods (formerly the USDA Commodity Program)
State Farm to School Program office
Other (please specify)

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Farm to School Census

Please indicate if your district or any schools in your district purchased any of the following foods – IN ANY FORM -- from local
growers/producers/processers/manufacturers during the 2011-12 school year or would like to in the future:
Yes

No

Not now but would like to in the
future

I don't know

Other

Fruit
Vegetables
Fluid milk
Other dairy
Meat/poultry
Eggs
Seafood
Plant-based protein items such as
beans, seeds, and nuts
Grains and flour
Bakery products
Herbs
Other

If you indicated other, please specify:

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Please list the names of the top 5 SPECIFIC food items (e.g. apples, chicken drumsticks) your school district purchased locally
in 2011/12, based on VALUE
Food item #1:
Food item #2:
Food item #3:
Food item #4:
Food item #5:

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On average, about how frequently do your district’s meals or snacks include at least one locally sourced food item from the categories below?
Daily

A few times per
week

Weekly

A few times per
month

Monthly

Occasionally

Never

Fruit
Vegetables
Fluid milk
Other dairy
Meat/poultry
Eggs
Seafood
Plant based protein items such as
beans, seeds, and nuts
Grains and flour
Bakery products
Herbs
Other

If you indicated other, please specify:

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The following question asks about what you spent on food and local food in 2011/2012. Please give your best approximation, and do not
include USDA Foods or DOD Fresh.
For the 2011/2012 school year, what were your approximate total food costs?
Total food cost (not counting
USDA Foods/DOD Fresh):

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The following question asks about what you spent on food and local food in 2011/2012. Please give your best approximation, and do not
include USDA Foods or DOD Fresh.
For the 2011/2012 school year, about what percent of total food purchases were spent on locally-sourced foods including "fluid
milk?"
1-10%
11-20%
21-30%
31-40%
41-50%
51-75%
76-100%
I don't know

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Farm to School Census

The following question asks about what you spent on food and local food in 2011/2012. Please give your best approximation, and do not
include USDA Foods or DOD Fresh.
For the 2011/2012 school year, about what percent of total food purchases were spent on local foods NOT INCLUDING "FLUID
MILK?"
1-10%
11-20%
21-30%
31-40%
41-50%
51-75%
76-100%
I don't know

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Farm to School Census

Looking forward, do you anticipate your local purchases will:
Increase
Decrease
Stay the same
I don't know
Other (please specify)

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Farm to School Census

Are any of the following considered to be problems in procuring local products or reasons why your district does not purchase local products?
(Please check all that apply.)
Hard to find year-round availability of key items
Local items not available from primary vendors
Vendors for local items don't offer a broad range of products
Higher prices
Unstable product prices
Lack of reliability in delivering ordered items
Lack of compliance with your institution’s purchasing regulations & policies
Lack of availability of processed/precut products
Hard to find new suppliers/growers or distributors
Hard to get information about product availability
Hard to place orders with vendors
Getting on-time deliveries
Getting product delivered that meets your quality requirements and other specs, such as size
Having quantity delivered equal to quantity ordered
Resolving problem deliveries
Inability to pay farmers according to farmers’ needs due to school district payment procedures
Other (please specify)

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Is there other information that was not asked for that you think we need to know?

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(Optional) Please share a local food procurement success story.

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THANK YOU for answering this questionnaire!
For more information on starting or expanding farm to school activities, please see the National Farm to School Network at
http://www.farmtoschool.org or go to USDA's Farm to School website at http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/F2S/.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact:
Deborah Kane, National Director, Farm to School Program, USDA
Email

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