USDA Announces $77 Million in School Meal Funding
USDA announces more than $77 million for farm-to-school projects and school cafeteria equipment upgrades.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced October 30 more than $77 million in additional funding for school nutrition programs, including more than $27 million in Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grants and $50 million in National School Lunch Program (NSLP) Equipment Assistance Grants.
The funding is intended to help schools purchase more locally produced food, strengthen partnerships with farmers and producers, expand agricultural and nutrition education, and upgrade cafeteria equipment.
The investments are part of USDA’s Harvest to Hallways initiative, which aims to strengthen connections between American agriculture and school meal programs. The initiative also provides resources to help schools implement options that 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 additional Farm-to-School funding brings USDA’s total support for the program in 2026 to more than $47 million across 149 projects nationwide. USDA said this represents the largest annual investment in the program’s history.
The department announced additional farm-to-school awards in April and July. Project descriptions for this year’s grantees are available through the USDA Farm to School website.
The grants support projects that connect schools with local food producers and provide students with opportunities to learn about agriculture and nutrition.
The additional $50 million in NSLP Equipment Assistance Grants will provide state agencies with noncompetitive funding for school cafeteria upgrades.
Eligible equipment improvements include cold storage, stoves, and other modern equipment to help schools prepare and serve fresh, locally sourced foods. The additional funding builds on NSLP equipment grants announced in August.
