School Meals Meet Local Farms as Arkansas Transfers Nutrition Programs to Agriculture

Arkansas has shifted its statewide nutrition programs from the Department of Education to the Department of Agriculture to keep children connected to farming traditions, agriculture, and healthy locally grown foods. The transition officially began on October 1.

Several major initiatives now fall under the Agriculture Department’s oversight. These include the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, the Summer Food Program, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, the Emergency Food Assistance Program, the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, and the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Grant Program.

State officials explained that the change is designed to support struggling farms by creating more opportunities to sell locally grown products while ensuring schools and program participants receive nutritious, high-quality meals produced within the state.

Leaders Endorse the Transition

Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders praised the move, describing it as both a matter of good governance and a way to strengthen ties between Arkansas farmers and the communities they serve. “Transitioning our statewide nutrition programs to the Department of Agriculture is not only about good governance and streamlining administrative processes. It is also about encouraging stronger relationships between Arkansas’ farmers and the people who benefit from these programs,” Sanders said.

Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward added that the transition will deepen the connection between agriculture and students through the meals served daily in schools.

Jacob Oliva, Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Education, noted that consolidating school food service programs under the Department of Agriculture will promote greater efficiency and innovation. He emphasized that the change ensures students not only receive healthy meals but also learn about nutrition, agriculture, and healthy living.

Arkansas Farmers Applaud the Shift

Local farmers have welcomed the change. “Let people do what they’re good at, put the programs where the expertise is,” said Arkansas rice farmer Jeff Rutledge in an interview with KATV. “The Department of Agriculture has much more expertise in sourcing locally grown, Arkansas-produced products and is able to get them to the places they need to be,” Rutledge explained. He called the move a win for farmers.

For many farmers, the shift comes at a time of rising input costs, shrinking profit margins, and tariff-related challenges. While these pressures remain, Governor Sanders’ broader nutrition initiatives are seen as an important opportunity to expand consumption for Arkansas crops.

The Rice in Schools Program Gains Momentum

Alongside the transition, Arkansas has launched the Arkansas Rice in Schools Program. This initiative is designed to give students access to nutritious meals while also teaching them about rice production and its importance to the state economy. Agriculture Secretary Wes Ward said the program underscores Arkansas’s position as the nation’s leading rice producer, accounting for nearly half of all rice grown in the United States.

Ward explained that moving nutrition programs under the Department of Agriculture was intended to spotlight Arkansas agriculture, emphasize rice as a key crop, expand its use in school meals, and create new markets for producers. School districts participating in the Arkansas Rice in Schools Program will receive training, recipes, and classroom education from department staff.

The initiative has drawn strong support from the farming community. “The Arkansas Rice Federation appreciates the Governor and her team’s efforts to increase the use of nutritious, home-grown rice in our schools,” said Dow Brantley, rice farmer and chair of the Arkansas Rice Federation. “Arkansas grows more than 50 percent of the nation’s rice, and we encourage our fellow Arkansans to take advantage of the healthy grain grown by your neighbors.”

Rice farmer Rutledge stressed the significance of the program in light of the current agricultural economy. “As a rice producer here in Arkansas, we are the largest rice-producing state, and for the last several years, we have lost a lot of our domestic consumption to foreign imports, particularly from Thailand and India. Allowing kids more access to these healthier alternatives that are also very economically affordable is going to be a win for everybody,” he said.

A Win for Farmers, Students, and Communities

The partnership reflects Arkansas’s broader effort to strengthen collaboration between farmers, ranchers, and statewide nutrition programs. It gives farmers a chance to share their expertise, grow sales, and build lasting relationships with future customers. Students gain access to healthy meals, schools secure an additional source of food, and the state improves child health outcomes.

The change is more than a shift in administration. It represents a long-term investment in Arkansas’s farming legacy, its schools, and the health of its communities.