Executive Summary Local food initiatives across the US have launched determined efforts to encourage institutional purchasers to source locally grown foods. These have generated significant enthusiasm at the local level. Yet the evidence base for documenting positive impacts on health and local economies is still being developed. This study seeks to draw insight from both scholarly studies and on-the-ground experience in order to distill practical strategies, recommend w ays to conceptualize

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... measure economic and health impacts, and highlight effective methods for building the capacities of communities for this w ork. The research focused on:  How are communities across the country structuring local food procurement activities? What roles do collaboration and partnership play in this w ork? What are key successes, challenges, and factors for sustainability?  Does institutional procurement of locally sourced food improve health or create economic benefits? How are impacts best measured?  What policies, systems, processes, and procedures maximize health and economic benefits? Methodologies included expert interviews, quantitative analysis of economic data, case studies based upon interviews with key leaders in five regions, and critical analysis of prevailing economic impact methodologies. The case study process offered community-specific insights that highlight the unique qualities, community assets, and innovative partnerships that characterize each region. By viewing these in historical context, we were able to compare conditions in each community over time.