First Partner Siebel Newsom celebrates California’s nation-leading Farm to School program at statewide summit

What you need to know: First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Governor Gavin Newsom, California leaders, farmers, chefs, and school nutrition professionals gathered Thursday to celebrate California's nation-leading Farm to School Program that brings more fresh, locally grown food into school cafeterias.

RANCHO CORDOVA - First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom this week co-hosted California's Farm to School Summit in celebration of permanent funding for the state's nation-leading Farm to School Incubator Grant Program. The Farm to School Program connects schools with California farmers to bring more fresh, locally grown food into school meals while supporting child nutrition, climate-smart agriculture, and local farm economies.

California's kids deserve access to school meals that are locally-sourced, nutritious and delicious - food that helps them thrive. Through our Farm to School Program, we're making that vision a reality by connecting children with fresh food from California farmers and producers, including food grown using regenerative organic practices, while strengthening local economies and supporting the people who feed our communities. I'm incredibly grateful for the strong partnerships behind this program that help give every child the opportunity to reach their full potential.

First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom

Healthy kids. Stronger farms. Smarter climate action. That's what Farm to School delivers. We're putting fresh, California-grown food on school trays, creating more opportunity for local farms, and building a stronger food system for our communities and our climate.

Governor Gavin Newsom

School meals by the numbers

In 2021, California became the first state to guarantee free breakfast and lunch to every public school student, regardless of family income. The Farm to School Program works in tandem with universal school meals to ensure more California students have access to two free school meals that are locally-sourced, delicious, and nutritious.

"It is hard to overstate the impact the Farm to School Program is having across California," said California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross. "The investments from this program are a true local development tool. Schools are better equipped to provide healthy, nourishing meals to California's students. Students are also gaining a deeper understanding of where their food comes from, and farms are seeing benefits from these ongoing partnerships. This sustainable model is creating lasting, positive change for communities throughout our state."

Together, these initiatives have delivered meaningful results for California's children, farmers, and local economies:

• Approximately 3.5 billion free school meals served.

• $86 million invested through the Farm to School Incubator Grant Program.

• 375 Farm to School projects funded, benefiting 4.2 million California public school students.

• 80% of Farm to School Incubator grantees are Title I schools.

• 100% of farmer grantees are small, mid-sized or socially and economically disadvantaged producers.

• Every $1 invested through Farm to School farmer grants generates an estimated $2.10 in economic activity.

• The state established ongoing funding to continue bringing California-grown food into schools.

Inside the summit

In partnership with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), Center for Ecoliteracy, Alice Waters Institute, National Farm to School Network, Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation, TomKat Foundation, and the Henry Ford, the Summit was held at Soil Born Farms, a 55-acre urban farm and education center in Rancho Cordova that helps schools and communities teach young people about the importance of growing, cooking, and eating fresh food.

"When school districts buy food from local regenerative farms, they contribute to the economic empowerment of our communities, revitalizing and supporting farms that are taking care of the land for future generations," said Alice Waters, chef, author, and founder of the Alice Waters Institute."But just as important, they perpetuate the essential values of stewardship, nourishment, and interconnectedness directly through the cafeteria doors to our students."

"When children get a chance to engage in hands-on experiences in the school garden, at the farm, in the kitchen and at school lunch, everything changes," said Shawn Harrison, Founder and Co-Director of Soil Born Farms. "Learning how food is grown, practicing simple, delicious cooking and accessing a plate of healthy locally grown food each day at school lunch are the combined ingredients for long-term wellness. Thanks to the Farm to School program model, our children are more connected to what they eat on a daily basis, the farmers that feed us, the earth and the larger community around them."

The Summit also brought together school nutrition professionals from across the state who received California Food for California Kids® Leadership and Innovation Awards for their work transforming what students eat at school.

"These leaders are proving that fresh and local school food is possible at scale," said Alexa Norstad, Executive Director of the Center for Ecoliteracy. "Whether it's remodeling a kitchen that once served prepackaged food, training staff to cook with fresh ingredients, or developing recipes that can feed hundreds of thousands of delicious meals kids want to eat - they're working miracles every day for the children they serve."

First Partner's leadership on Farm to School

The First Partner has championed California's Farm to School Program to expand access to healthy, locally grown food for students. Administered by the CDFA Office of Farm to Fork, the Farm to School (F2S) Incubator Grant program supports sustainable, local food procurement, minimally processed school meals programs, and hands-on education for students from early childhood education through 12th grade. First launched in the 2021-2022 budget, the program has helped drive lasting change in California's school food system.

With ongoing funding secured in Governor Newsom's 2026-27 state budget, in partnership with the Legislature, this program will continue to improve children's health while strengthening local food systems and creating new opportunities for small and mid-sized farmers. The initiative supports California farmers and local economies by helping schools purchase more food from nearby farms and producers, ensuring that more dollars stay within local communities.