The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Administration (FNA) announced two major investments to strengthen the impact of school meals: more than $27 million in additional Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grants and the availability of an additional $50 million in National School Lunch Program (NSLP) Equipment Assistance Grants. Together, these investments will help schools procure more local foods, strengthen partnerships with farmers and producers, connect school children to nutrition and agricultural education, and modernize cafeteria infrastructure.
This announcement builds on USDA’s Harvest to Hallways initiative — the newest phase of the Trump Administration’s common-sense actions to improve school meals by expanding connections between American agriculture and America’s school children. In addition to funding, the initiative provides support and resources intended to help schools implement options to support USDA’s Pledge for Healthier School Meals.
“Every child deserves real, nutritious food grown by American farmers and ranchers on their lunch tray, and that is exactly what Harvest to Hallways delivers,” said Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins. “Under President Trump's leadership, we are making the largest investment in farm to school in history and equipping school cafeterias to serve healthy, wholesome meals every day. This is how we Make America Healthy Again: by putting our farmers first, putting our children first, and bringing the best of American agriculture into every school in the country.”
“Making America Healthy Again starts with what we put on our children’s plates,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “Under President Trump’s leadership, Secretary Rollins is connecting schools with American farmers and equipping cafeterias to prepare fresh, nutritious meals. These investments put real food at the center of school meals, support the farmers who feed our country, and help children build healthy habits for life.”
The Farm to School funding brings total support in 2026 to more than $47 million across 149 projects nationwide, representing the largest annual investment in the program's history. USDA announced a host of farm to school awards earlier this year in both April and July. Project descriptions for all this year’s grantees can be found on the Farm to School website.
Building on awards announced in August, the additional NSLP Equipment Assistance Grants will provide state agencies with non-competitive funding to support cafeteria upgrades, including cold storage, stoves, and other modern equipment that help schools prepare and serve fresh, locally sourced foods.
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