Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the USDA is awarding $14.3 million in Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grants to 154 projects across 43 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. This investment aims to help 1.9 million children access nutritious foods in school while supporting local farmers and producers.
“Farm to School is a huge win for children, schools, farmers, producers and communities,” said Vilsack. “When schools have access to fresh, local food options with homegrown flavor, they can serve delicious, healthy dishes that kids are excited to eat while also supporting the local economy.”
This initiative aligns with the Biden-Harris Administration's National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health to end hunger and promote healthy eating by 2030.
The Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program aids child nutrition program operators in integrating local foods into meals served through USDA’s National School Lunch Program and other related programs. It offers opportunities for children to learn about nutrition and agriculture through hands-on activities such as planting and harvesting.
USDA continues its commitment to equity by focusing on historically underserved communities:
- Fifty-four percent of students benefiting from these projects qualify for free or reduced-price school meals.
- More than one-third (35%) of awarded projects target rural areas.
- Communities of color lead 40 percent of the awarded organizations.
- Eight projects are led by American Indian or Alaska Native communities.
Producers can also receive grants for their farm-to-school projects; three agricultural producers are among this year’s grantees.
More than 67,000 schools currently participate in farm-to-school programs. Additional information about these grants is available on the Farm to School website.
USDA has also finalized regulations encouraging schools to purchase foods from local producers. Schools now have the option to require unprocessed agricultural products be locally sourced when buying for meal programs. Details about these new options can be found on the Procuring Local Foods webpage.
“Kids learn how to eat; it’s not programmed in them,” said USDA Food and Nutrition Service Administrator Cindy Long. “What they’re exposed to at a young age makes a real difference.”
Since its inception in 2013, the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program has awarded over $98 million in grants funding more than 1,200 projects nationwide reaching over 28 million students.
The USDA supports various initiatives aimed at providing nutritious school meals. Since January 2021, nearly $13.7 billion has been allocated toward this goal. This includes a recent award of $10 million through partners Full Plates Full Potential and Illinois Public Health Institute under the Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative aimed at fostering innovation within the school meal supply chain.
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is working towards transforming America’s food system by focusing on resilient local food production and equitable access to nutritious food among other goals.
For more information visit www.usda.gov
