WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has completed the largest annual investment in the history of its Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program, awarding nearly $20 million to 68 projects designed to expand purchases of locally produced food for schools, summer meal programs and childcare providers.
The second round of fiscal 2026 grants, announced by USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, completes this year’s funding cycle after an initial group of awards was announced in April. The department indicated the grants are intended to strengthen local food supply chains while creating additional market opportunities for U.S. farmers, ranchers, producers and fishers.
According to USDA, the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program supports local food procurement and educational activities that connect students with agriculture through school gardens, farm visits, taste tests and classroom learning.
“Students are nourished with farm-fresh, nutrient-rich foods; producers access dependable markets through schools; and local economies are strengthened,” Rollins stated.
Among the newly funded projects, the Jefferson County School District in Mississippi will convert underused greenhouses into hydroponic production systems where high school students will grow vegetables and herbs for school cafeterias. The district also plans to establish purchasing relationships with four local farms and incorporate agricultural field trips into the program.
In Arkansas, Bryant Public Schools received funding to expand farm-to-school practices across all 11 district schools by incorporating Arkansas-grown specialty crops into school meals. USDA indicated the project aims to increase students’ access to locally produced foods while creating additional sales opportunities for growers.
USDA reported it redesigned the fiscal 2026 grant program to emphasize larger projects built around partnerships, resulting in the highest number of applications and the largest single-year funding commitment since the program began.
Since its launch in 2013, the Farm to School Grant Program has awarded more than $119 million to support more than 1,265 projects across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Descriptions of all fiscal 2026 grant recipients are available on the USDA’s Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program website.
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