SACRAMENTO – Highlighting the state’s nation-leading focus on childhood nutrition, Governor Gavin Newsom and California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom on Sept 6 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,” said Governor Gavin 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.