Inspection Services Blog

CDFA awarded $100,000 Farm to School Grant from USDA to host regional gatherings

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded $100,000 to the California Department of Food and Agriculture Office of Farm to Fork (CDFA-F2F) in the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program. This is part of USDA awarding $14.3 million to 154 projects in 43 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico. These investments will help 1.9 million children eat more tasty, nutritious foods in school while supporting farmers and producers in their local and regional communities.

“Farm to school is a huge win for children, schools, farmers, producers and communities,” USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack stated in a news release announcing the awards. “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. These grants continue our work to address both food insecurity and nutrition insecurity, ensuring that we’re not only feeding kids, we’re feeding them well.”

The grant funds awarded to CDFA-F2F will be used to host eight in-person regional gatherings across California to improve access to local foods in eligible Child Nutrition Program sites through comprehensive farm to school programming that includes local sourcing and agricultural education efforts. Regional gatherings will serve farm to school stakeholders, including school nutrition programs, educators, food producers, supply chain partners and farm to school support organizations. The project will be led by the CDFA-F2F Farm to School Program, including partners California Department of Education, California Department of Public Health and California School Nutrition Association.

CDFA congratulates other California organizations awarded in this grant program, including: Butte County Local Food Network, Community Alliance with Family Farmers, Eat Real Certified Inc., Every Neighborhood Partnership, Fiery Ginger Farm, Friends of School of the Arts Foundation, Olivewood Gardens & Learning Center Inc., Pasadena Unified School District, San Diego Youth Services, Sequoia Union Elementary School District, Soil Born Farm Urban Agriculture Project, Turning Green and Upland Unified School District. Click here for the full list of awardees and project descriptions.

USDA’s Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program annually awards competitive grants that support planning, developing and implementing farm to school programs for state, regional and local organizations.

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