USDA Adds $77 Million for Farm-to-School Projects and Cafeteria Equipment

On October 30, 2026, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced two investments intended to strengthen school meals and connect schools with American agriculture: more than $27 million in additional Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grants and an additional $50 million available through National School Lunch Program (NSLP) Equipment Assistance Grants. The announcement frames the funding as support for local-food purchasing, partnerships between schools and farmers or producers, nutrition and agricultural education, and upgrades to cafeteria infrastructure. Together, the two announced funding streams represent more than $77 million in additional support, although the programs have distinct recipients and administrative arrangements.

The Farm to School funding brings the program’s 2026 total to more than $47 million across 149 projects nationwide, which USDA describes as the largest annual investment in the program’s history. The grants are intended to help schools procure local foods, build relationships with agricultural producers, and connect children with food and agriculture education. USDA said project descriptions for this year’s grantees are available through the Farm to School website and noted that it announced awards earlier in April and July. For vendors and organizations, the 149-project portfolio indicates activity distributed across multiple project sites rather than a single centralized purchasing opportunity.

The additional $50 million in NSLP Equipment Assistance Grants is designated for state agencies through non-competitive funding. Those agencies will support cafeteria upgrades, including cold storage, stoves, and other modern equipment that can help schools prepare and serve fresh, locally sourced foods. This structure makes state agencies the stated recipients and administrators of the equipment funding; suppliers should therefore monitor state-level program information and potential downstream purchasing activity rather than assume USDA has opened a direct federal solicitation. The release does not provide an application schedule, state-by-state allocation details, procurement contacts, or specific equipment solicitations.

USDA linked both investments to its Harvest to Hallways Initiative, described as the newest phase of the Trump Administration’s actions to improve school meals by expanding connections between American agriculture and children. The initiative also provides support and resources intended to help schools implement options aligned with USDA’s Pledge for Healthier School Meals. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins said, “We are investing in a healthier future by bringing the richness of American agriculture directly to school cafeterias across the nation.” For contractors, the practical signal is a combination of grant-supported local sourcing and state-administered infrastructure funding, with project-level and state-level channels likely to matter more than a single federal procurement notice. USDA lists press@usda.gov for press inquiries, but the announcement does not identify that address as an application or procurement contact.

• USDA announced more than $27 million in additional Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grants.
• Farm to School support for 2026 now exceeds $47 million across 149 projects, the program’s largest annual investment to date.
• The grants support local-food procurement, school-farmer and producer partnerships, and nutrition and agricultural education.
• An additional $50 million is available through NSLP Equipment Assistance Grants for cafeteria infrastructure upgrades.
• State agencies are the stated recipients of the non-competitive equipment-grant funding and will support upgrades such as cold storage and stoves.
• School food-service equipment suppliers may monitor state agency announcements and downstream purchasing opportunities; no direct USDA solicitation is identified.
• Local food producers may find opportunities through funded school projects and partnerships, but the release does not specify individual project buying schedules.
• USDA links the funding to its Harvest to Hallways Initiative and resources supporting the Pledge for Healthier School Meals.
• The release provides no application deadlines, state allocation breakdown, or procurement contact; press@usda.gov is identified for press inquiries.