October is National Farm to School Month and CDFA joins thousands of schools, early care and education sites, farms, communities and organizations across the country in celebrating food education, school gardens, and lunch trays filled with healthy, local ingredients.
Adding to the spirit of celebration this year is a $60 million appropriation in the state budget to sustain and expand the California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program. This is part of a $127 million allocation for CDFA’s Office of Farm to Fork, including $20 million for the California Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP), $20 million for the Healthy Refrigeration Grant Program, $15 million to create a Farm to Community Food Hubs Program; and $12 million to create an Urban Agriculture Program.
“This investment positions CDFA to be a bigger part of the nutrition security solution in helping all Californians access and consume California-grown fruits and vegetables to foster healthy lifestyles and avoid chronic disease,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “It also demonstrates our statewide commitment to connecting community members and school districts directly with our Golden State’s farmers and ranchers, which will increase demand for their wholesome products.”
Please visit the CDFA California Farm to School Program website for information and resources about the incubator grant program, and the Office of Farm to Fork web site for more information about the other programs mentioned above.