By Eryn Davis on December 22, 2025
Kansas Schools and Early Care Spotlight Kansas-Raised Beef
School districts and early care and education programs promote local beef through Child Nutrition Programs and classroom education
School districts and early care and education programs across Kansas are promoting locally raised beef in January. Beef is featured as the January Harvest of the Month, a program that celebrates one Kansas-grown or raised product each month of the year to promote the use of local foods in Child Nutrition Programs. Kansas-raised beef products will be encouraged through various resources including recipes, agricultural education curriculum for Preschool through 12th grade classrooms and promotional materials such as posters, stickers, static clings, newsletters and more.
The USDA Local Foods for Schools (LFS) grant, administered between 2023 and 2024, piqued interest for many Kansas school districts to use locally raised beef. Funding was provided to purchase local meat within 400 miles of the school site or from within the state of Kansas. Districts purchased from 211 Kansas cattle ranchers throughout the grant period.
Grace Liss, director of student nutrition services at USD 512 Shawnee Mission, has continued to use local beef beyond the LFS grant period.
“Using local Kansas beef does take a little more planning and hands-on work, but it’s an investment we believe is worth it,” Liss says. “It allows us to support local ranchers while serving more scratch-made meals, which we are proud to offer students. Local beef is a great addition to our menus.”
To learn more about the Harvest of the Month program, visit the Kansas State Department of Education, Child Nutrition and Wellness website at https://cnw.ksde.gov/. Harvest of the Month information is located under Farm to Plate, What’s New.
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