Episode 386: Commissioner Jonathan Shell, Heather Becker, and Dana Feldman
Mar 18, 2026
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Summary:
In this episode of The Produce Moms Podcast, host Lori Taylor welcomes Commissioner Jonathan Shell, Heather Becker, and Dana Feldman from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture to discuss how the Commonwealth is transforming school nutrition through its Local First School Food initiative.
From the Boyle County “Fields to Fajitas” success story to new legislation like Senate Bill 5 (SB5), the conversation explores how Kentucky is removing procurement barriers, connecting farmers with schools, and creating sustainable market opportunities for local agriculture—all while improving the quality of meals served to students across the state.
Takeaways:
- Kentucky’s Local First School Food Nutrition Policy focuses on bringing more Kentucky-grown products into school cafeterias.
- The Boyle County “Fields to Fajitas” initiative showcases how local beef from nearby farms can transform school lunch programs.
- As federal pandemic-era Local Food for Schools (LFS) funding winds down, Kentucky is building sustainable local procurement models to keep these partnerships alive.
- The Kentucky Department of Agriculture is helping connect food service directors with local farmers through sourcing support and statewide databases.
- Programs like Farm-to-School Champions help districts navigate sourcing, procurement, and distribution challenges.
- Kentucky’s farm-to-school work complements—not replaces—the USDA Farm to School Program.
- Senate Bill 5 (SB5) removes state procurement barriers, making it easier for school nutrition directors to buy directly from local farmers.
- By aligning state procurement rules with federal guidelines, SB5 allows districts to purchase larger quantities of local food without burdensome bidding requirements.
- Forward contracting allows schools and farmers to set prices and volumes ahead of the growing season, providing stability for producers and predictable costs for districts.
- Local purchasing reduces waste from long-distance transportation and can create cost savings for school districts.
- School cafeterias serve more meals daily than most restaurants in a community, making them a powerful institutional buyer for local agriculture.
- Increasing local purchasing by even a small percentage could return millions of dollars to rural communities.
- These initiatives support rural prosperity and help keep family farms viable for the next generation.
- Kentucky’s work is intended to be replicable across all 120 counties in the Commonwealth and potentially nationwide.
- Commissioner Shell’s 2026 vision includes a “Kentucky Farms First” approach, ensuring every district has a clear pathway to local food sourcing.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Kentucky’s Local First school food initiative
02:00 Meet the guests from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture
04:15 The Boyle County “Fields to Fajitas” success story
08:30 Overcoming sourcing, procurement, and cost barriers in school nutrition
13:00 Connecting farmers with school food service directors
16:00 Senate Bill 5 and removing procurement barriers
20:30 The economic impact of local school food purchasing
23:30 Supporting rural prosperity and the next generation of farmers
25:30 Commissioner Shell’s 2026 vision for Kentucky Farms First
27:00 Closing remarks
Resources:
Commissioner Jonathan Shell:
https://www.kyagr.com/commissioner/
Dana Feldman:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dana-feldman-88257a7/
