California awards new farm to school grants serving more than 1.65 million students across the state
What you need to know: California’s farm to school program is funding 195 projects to expand access to healthy, locally grown food for 1.65 million students in its latest round of grants. The farm to school initiative works in tandem with California’s universal school meals program to bolster childhood nutrition while promoting economic growth in local communities and incentivizing climate-smart agriculture practices.
SACRAMENTO – Highlighting the state’s nation-leading focus on childhood nutrition, Governor Gavin Newsom and California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom today announced the latest farm to school projects receiving $52.8 million to bring healthy, nutritious meals to 1,650,985 students across the state.
Since 2021, the state’s Farm to School Incubator Grant Program has reached 49% of all California students. School meals are crucial sources of nutrition for children and an important tool to improve food access and nutrition security among children and their families. Access to nutritious foods is essential to children’s health and preventing diet-related chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
“Supporting healthy food access is foundational to giving our kids the best start in life and preventing chronic disease. Farm to school and the state’s other groundbreaking efforts in this space are making a real difference for thousands of California families every day, with countless benefits for our communities, local producers, and the future of our state.”
Governor Gavin Newsom
“Through California Farm to School, the state is setting a nation-leading standard for childhood nutrition. Together with universal school meals, we’re ensuring students have access to two delicious and nutritious meals each day, and that those meals are locally sourced, climate-smart, and offered to students alongside hands-on educational opportunities in school gardens, farms and kitchens.”
First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom
First Partner Siebel Newsom, in partnership with the California Department of Food and Agriculture, led the work to launch the state’s farm to school grant program and ongoing efforts to broaden its reach to more students.
California implemented a statewide universal school meals program in 2022, and earlier this year launched SUN Bucks in California, a new federal food program to support children from families with low incomes while school is out for the summer. The state also has a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to facilitate the purchase of nutritious, local foods for school meal programs in California.
Since 2021, the Farm to School Incubator Grant Program has distributed $86 million to 375 projects, benefitting 2,850,196 students at 269 school districts.
In total, the 195 projects from the latest round of grants will serve 199 school districts and educational entities, five California Native American tribes, 52 farms, and eight food hubs.
Visit the CA Farm to School Incubator Grant Program website to view the full list of grantees.