Farmers ’ Perceptions of Local Food Procurement,

We sought to understand the experiences and perceptions of food producers regarding food procurement programs for local institutions. A total of 72 (45%) Mississippi fruit and vegetable growers completed a mailed survey, and of those that reported selling to local businesses and institutions (54%), few were selling to schools (13%). The primary motivations to sell to institutions were to increase profits (67%) and to improve nutrition within their communities (57%), while the most commonly reported barrier was a lack of knowledge about how to sell to institutions (39%). Farm to institution programs must develop evidence-based practices designed to address barriers to producers’ participation in local institutional food procurement programs. Objective Food procurement from local farmers by local institutions (F2I) is becoming increasingly widespread. In the United States, the most well-known type of F2I, farm to school (F2S), has quadrupled over the past decade (1,2). F2S programs, including national model programs such as the Green Mountain Farm to School project in Vermont, promote health and improve children’s access to fruits and vegetables by linking schools to locally grown foods (3,4). In Mississippi, more than 15 % of school districts reported having a F2S program in 2012 compared with none in 2010 (5,6). As programs for local institutional food procurement expand, it is important to understand the barriers to an