USDA is Fueling Healthy Futures with Historic New Child Nutrition Funding
Washington, D.C., October 30, 2026 – 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 local foods, strengthen partnerships with farmers and producers, connect school children to nutrition and agricultural education, and modernize cafeteria infrastructure.
The 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 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.
“We are investing in a healthier future by bringing the richness of American agriculture directly to school cafeterias across the nation,” said Secretary Brooke L. Rollins. “America delivers the safest, most abundant food supply in the world, and it’s our duty to connect children with the bounty of our land — one meal, one school, and one partnership at a time.”
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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