Notice2021-26195
Agency Information Collection Activities: 2023 Farm to School Census
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
December 2, 2021
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentFood and Nutrition Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on this proposed information collection. This collection is a revision of a currently approved collection (OMB Number 0584-0646) for the 2023 Farm to School Census.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 229 (Thursday, December 2, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 229 (Thursday, December 2, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68460-68464]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-26195]
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Notices
Federal Register
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 229 / Thursday, December 2, 2021 /
Notices
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Agency Information Collection Activities: 2023 Farm to School
Census
AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this
notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment
on this proposed information collection. This collection is a revision
of a currently approved collection (OMB Number 0584-0646) for the 2023
Farm to School Census.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before January 31, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to: Amy Rosenthal, Food and Nutrition
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1320 Braddock Place, 5th
Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314. Comments may also be via email to Amy
Rosenthal at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#fb9a9682d58994889e958f939a97bb8e889f9ad59c948d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7a1b1703540815091f140e121b163a0f091e1b541d150c">[email protected]</span></a>. Comments will also be accepted
through the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>, and follow the online instructions for submitting
comments electronically.
All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the
request for Office of Management and Budget approval. All comments will
be a matter of public record.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or
copies of this information collection should be directed to Amy
Rosenthal at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ceafa3b7e0bca1bdaba0baa6afa28ebbbdaaafe0a9a1b8"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d0b1bda9fea2bfa3b5bea4b8b1bc90a5a3b4b1feb7bfa6">[email protected]</span></a>, 703-305-2245.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the
proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the
information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the
agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of
information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions
that were used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity
of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden
of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including
use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other
technological collection techniques or other forms of information
technology.
Title: 2023 Farm to School Census.
OMB Number: 0584-0646.
Expiration Date: 3/31/22.
Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Abstract: Section 18 of the Richard B. Russell National School
Lunch Act authorized and funded USDA to establish a farm to school
program in order to assist eligible entities, through grants and
technical assistance, in implementing farm to school programs that
improve food and agriculture education as well as access to local foods
in schools. This work is housed within the FNS Office of Community Food
Systems (OCFS). As part of the Farm to School Program's authorization,
OCFS collects and disseminates information on farm to school activity
throughout the country. OCFS conducted a national census of farm to
school activity in 2013, 2015, and 2019. The Farm to School Census
provides the only nationally-representative data available on farm to
school participation and activities in the United States.
The 2023 Farm to School Census (Census) will collect and synthesize
data from a national census of SFAs to better understand the
characteristics of SFAs participating in farm to school and the scope
and details of the activities they engage in (e.g., local food
procurement, gardening, agriculture education). The Census will be
distributed to all public \1\ and private SFAs (including residential
child care institutions) participating in the National School Lunch
Program (NSLP) in the 50 states, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern
Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Washington,
DC.
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\1\ Public includes charter schools that operate NSLP.
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The primary mode of data collection will be an online survey,
distributed to SFA directors. (SFA directors will also have the option
to complete the survey over the phone.) The online survey is expected
to take 30 minutes to complete. Census questions will be based on prior
Farm to School Census instruments, from the iterations conducted in
2019 (the currently approved collection, OMB Number 0584-0646), 2015
(OMB Number 0584-0593), and 2013 (OMB Number 0536-0069). Questions will
be removed, added or adjusted based on current research interests and
to make the instrument as streamlined as possible.
To construct the contact list for the Census, State Child Nutrition
(CN) directors will be sent a list of all SFAs in their State or
territory, based on the most recently available FNS data. They will be
asked to (1) add or remove any SFAs that have begun or ended
participation in the NSLP and (2) provide contact information for the
director of each SFA. State CN directors will also be asked to forward
a notification email and two email reminders about the Census to SFAs.
Directors of State agriculture departments will also be sent one email
to notify them of the Census and request their assistance in
encouraging SFAs in their State to complete it.
Non-respondents will receive a reminder phone call and up to ten
reminder emails. Phone calls, during which SFAs will have the
opportunity to complete the Census over the phone, will be conducted by
trained interviewers. Staff will also be available for technical and
completion assistance via a toll-free phone number.
Affected Public: The affected public includes State, Local, and
Tribal Government (directors of public SFAs participating in the NSLP,
State Child Nutrition directors, State Agriculture directors); Business
or Other For Profit (directors of private SFAs participating in the
NSLP); and Not for Profit (directors of not for profit SFAs
participating in the NSLP).
Estimated Number of Respondents: The estimated number of
respondents is 18,612. This includes 12,137 respondents and 6,475 non-
respondents. The number of unique respondents expected to provide data
for this study
[[Page 68461]]
are 9,862 State/local government respondents (56 CN directors, 56 State
Agriculture directors, 9,750 directors of public SFAs), 1,625 business
respondents (directors of private SFAs), and 650 not for profit
respondents (directors of not for profit SFAs). These numbers are based
on an estimated 65% response rate to the survey for SFAs (based on the
2019 Census response rate) and a 100% response rate to requests to
State CN and Agriculture directors
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: All respondents will
be asked to respond to each specific data collection activity only once
(with the exception of the two requests to CN directors to send
reminder emails and 2 reminder emails from CN directors to SFAs). The
overall average number of responses per respondent across the entire
collection is 14.7.
Estimated Total Annual Responses: The estimated number of total
annual responses is 274,111.
Estimated Time per Response: The estimated time of response varies
from 2 minutes (for some emails) to 30 minutes (for completion of the
Census survey), as shown in the burden table below. The estimated time
per response is 4.75 minutes (0.08 hours).
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 21,722 hours. This
includes 15,750 hours for respondents and 5,972 hours for non-
respondents. See the table below (Table 1) for estimated total annual
burden for each type of respondent.
Cynthia Long,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P
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[FR Doc. 2021-26195 Filed 12-1-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-C
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