USDA Launches Harvest to Hallways Initiative

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the Harvest to Hallways initiative, which will invest in school meal programs while creating additional opportunities for schools to purchase locally produced food from American farmers and ranchers.

The initiative includes up to $70 million for school cafeteria infrastructure, efforts to expand local food procurement, and up to $25 million in additional Farm to School Grants for fiscal year 2026.

The initiative is intended to strengthen connections between local farmers, ranchers and schools. USDA will launch an education and outreach campaign around its “Local Option” School Procurement Program, an existing procurement pathway that can allow schools to be reimbursed for purchases of locally produced foods.

USDA said the Local Option has already been used in Union County, Kentucky, where school districts purchased locally produced beef. The department plans to provide dedicated outreach and webinars to help more schools use the program.

The initiative also includes up to $25 million in new Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grants for FY 2026. The grants help schools incorporate locally produced foods into child nutrition programs while creating new market opportunities for farmers and ranchers.

A previous project cited by USDA involved the Pennsylvania Beef Council, which worked with 175 local schools to bring locally raised beef to nearly 300,000 students.

School Kitchen Investments

USDA will make a $50 million investment in school cafeteria infrastructure to help qualifying schools purchase equipment such as cold storage and stoves, improve food safety, and establish, maintain, or expand School Breakfast Programs.

The investment builds on recently announced National School Lunch Program Equipment Assistance Grants totaling $20 million. USDA and HHS also plan to encourage public-private partnerships to complement the federal investment.

Focus on School Meal Nutrition

USDA and HHS will encourage greater state adoption of the Pledge for Healthier School Meals, which promotes updated nutrition practices aligned with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030.

HHS will also invest $30 million in research to identify practical, cost-effective ways to improve the nutritional quality of school meals.

“If we want to Make America Healthy Again, we have to start with our children, and that means improving what we put on their lunch trays every single day,” said Secretary Brooke L. Rollins. “Harvest to Hallways is about bringing more American agriculture into the school cafeteria. We are connecting schools with the farmers and ranchers in their own communities, investing in the kitchens and equipment school nutrition professionals need to prepare real food, and cutting through barriers that have made it too difficult to serve healthy, American-grown food. When we strengthen the connection between the farm and the lunchroom, everybody wins: our children eat better, our farmers gain new markets, and our communities grow stronger.”

“Every school meal should make a child healthier,” said Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are putting the updated Dietary Guidelines into action by bringing real, nutrient-dense food back to school cafeterias and giving schools the tools to serve it affordably. Together with Secretary Rollins, we are building a school food system that supports American farmers and raises healthier American children.”

Together, the actions are intended to increase the use of local food in school meals, improve school kitchen infrastructure, and strengthen connections between farmers and the communities they serve.