[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 229 (Thursday, December 2, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68460-68464]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-26195]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 229 / Thursday, December 2, 2021 / 
Notices  

[[Page 68460]]



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 [email protected]. Comments will also be accepted 
through the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to http://www.regulations.gov, 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 [email protected], 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.
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[FR Doc. 2021-26195 Filed 12-1-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-C