RURAL COMMUNITIES CONTINUE TO FACE MANY CHALLENGES RELATIVE TO THEIR URBAN COUNTERPARTS. REVERSING THESE TRENDS REQUIRES INVESTING IN A BROAD RANGE OF ASSETS THAT COMPRISE A COMMUNITY'S WEALTH. IN RECENT YEARS, THE U.S. HAS REFINED ITS RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND AGRICULTURAL POLICIES TO MORE EFFECTIVELY TARGET HETEROGENEOUS SEGMENTS OF THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR; SUPPORT FOR LOCAL AND REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEMS, FOR EXAMPLE, IS NOW INCLUDED IN SIX FARM BILL TITLES. FARM TO SCHOOL (FTS) IS THE MOST PREVALENT LOCAL FOODS PROMOTION PROGRAM IN THE U.S.; 41 STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HAVE PASSED 146 BILLS AND 63 RESOLUTIONS ENACTING FTS LEGISLATION SINCE 2002. DESPITE RESEARCH DEMONSTRATING THE CHILD, PRODUCER, AND COMMUNITY BENEFITS OF FTS, RURAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE LESS LIKELY TO PARTICIPATE IN FTS PROGRAMS. THUS, IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER RURAL COMMUNITIES BENEFIT FROM THESE INTERVENTIONS. FURTHER, NO RESEARCH HAS FOCUSED ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LOCAL STOCKS OF COMMUNITY ASSETS AND FTS,OR DIFFERENCES ACROSS TYPES OF STATE POLICIES AND IMPLICATIONS FOR BOTH SCHOOL PURCHASES AND PRODUCER AND SUPPLY CHAIN BUSINESS VIABILITY. THIS PROJECT, SUBMITTED TO THE RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (A1661), INTEGRATES RESEARCH AND EXTENSION WORK TO ASK THE QUESTION: WHAT ARE THE IMPACTS OF STATE-LEVEL FTS POLICIES ON RURAL WEALTH, AND HOW DO STATE-LEVEL FARM TO SCHOOL PROCUREMENT POLICES IMPACT SCHOOL MEALS, LOCAL PRODUCERS, SUPPLY CHAIN BUSINESSES, AND COMMUNITIES? THIS WORK IS GUIDED BY FOUR OBJECTIVES. OBJECTIVE 1 EXPLORES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FTS ACTIVITIES, STATE FTS POLICIES AND RURAL WEALTH USING PUBLICLY-AVAILABLE NATIONAL DATASETS, AS WELL AS A RECENTLY-DEVELOPED DATASET THAT MEASURES THE STOCK OF COUNTY-LEVEL ASSETS. OBJECTIVE 2 EVALUATES TO WHAT EXTENT STATE-LEVEL FTS PROCUREMENT INCENTIVES IMPACT SCHOOL NUTRITION SERVICE DIRECTOR DECISIONS ABOUT SCHOOL MEALS. FOR OBJECTIVES 2 AND 3, WE FOCUS ON FOUR PARTNER STATES--OREGON, NEW YORK, MICHIGAN, AND COLORADO--AND ON FTS POLICIES THAT INCENTIVIZE LOCAL PROCUREMENT. OBJECTIVE 3 EXPANDS ON RESULTS FROM OBJECTIVES 1 AND 2 TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH STATE-LEVEL FTS PROCUREMENT INCENTIVES GENERATE BENEFITS FOR LOCAL PRODUCERS AND SUPPLY CHAIN BUSINESSES IN AND AROUND FARM TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH THEY ARE LOCATED, AS WELL AS IF AND HOW THEY CONTRIBUTE TO THE STOCK OF RURAL ASSETS. OBJECTIVE 4 SEEKS TO INSPIRE NEW POLICY AND RESEARCH DIALOGUE ON THE ROLE STATE FTS POLICIES CAN PLAY IN SUPPORTING POSITIVE RURAL DEVELOPMENT, SCHOOL FOOD PROCUREMENT DECISIONS, AND PRODUCER AND SUPPLY CHAIN BUSINESS OUTCOMES. ALL RESEARCH AND EXTENSION OBJECTIVES HAVE BEEN FRAMED IN CONSULTATION WITH AN IMPRESSIVE ADVISORY TEAM THAT IS ALREADY COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING THE PROJECT. THIS PROJECT WILL MAKE IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO ADVANCING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR RURAL ENTREPRENEURS AND COMMUNITIES VIA LOCAL AND REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEMS.