Students, parents, educators, and other farm to school partners are asking questions about the foods served in schools, early child care programs, and summer meal sites. They want to know who grew it, where it was grown, who prepares and serves it, and who gets to eat it. These questions are part of a growing focus on equity. The farm to school community wants to see farm to school positively impact community health, economics, and the environment. Furthermore, they want to see farm to school benefit everyone touched by the food system.

USDA shares this interest and commitment. Equity is central to USDA achieving its mission and work. As such, USDA, including the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program (Farm to School Program), is committed to identifying and rooting out systemic discrimination, ensuring equitable access to programs and service, promoting nutrition security and a healthy environment, and creating opportunity for all.

The Farm to School Program is excited to partner with National Farm to School Network (NFSN) through a cooperative agreement. NFSN’s Racial Equity Learning Lab (the “Lab”) is increasing the farm to school movement’s understanding of racial equity and building equity in the food system. The Lab brings together participants from across the nation to learn, discuss, and practice racial equity concepts. It’s a collective effort to deepen participant’s understanding and support for racial equity through farm to school.

Farm to School: A Pathway to Equity

Farm to school program activities like local food procurement and food and agricultural education can help build equitable food systems. When sourcing local, schools can buy from an array of producers, such as small and medium-sized producers and producers of color, which creates economic opportunities for often underserved producers and strengthens the communities where they live. Food and agricultural education, including food production in school gardens, can address equity in environmental stewardship, food history and origins, and nutrition, and introduce diverse cultures through food preparation and tasting.

Lab Participant Experience: Tracey Kimura

Tracey Kimura (she/they), a Regional Producer Engagement Specialist from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), recently participated in the Lab and shared about her role, experience with the Lab, and how it impacted her equity work.

Tracey’s current role at CDFA includes developing relationships with producers to enhance their farm to school capacity, including increasing direct sales relationships with districts and other institutional partners. This work can grow equity in the communities these producers serve by increasing access to healthy foods and hands-on learning and by building social and financial capital and a stronger food system.

Tracey revealed why she applied to take part in the Lab, “I really wanted to develop knowledge, tools, skills, relationships, and credibility to address equity both internally and externally.” Participating in the Lab offered what she needed and connected her with others interested in building equity in farm to school, like farmers, educators, and organizers. The unique co-creation and peer-learning processes allowed her to share her personal experiences and to learn, discuss, and practice racial equity concepts in real time, including by practicing facilitating equity conversations.

Tracey shared that her experience in the Lab boosted her confidence and inspired her CDFA team to explore piloting a similar learning lab with their grantees. Tracey, who is of Okinawan heritage, also shared that “I was inspired and encouraged to start learning to preserve the history and memory of my own culture.” Tracey is now learning and practicing Uchināguchi, a critically endangered Okinawan language.

The Lab also reinforced many of Tracey’s beliefs and concepts that she brings to her work and personal life, including cultivating authentic relationships based on mutual respect and trust and advocating for language justice. Tracey is bilingual in part because of the strong relationships she built with monolingual Spanish-speaking mothers supporting school and community gardens. Her experience has translated into deep support for those with language skills beyond English. At CDFA, Tracey and her colleagues championed increased pay for bilingual staff and helped start a bilingual staff collective to advance language equity further.

We are grateful to Tracey for sharing her equity journey through the Lab!  For all who are beginning or continuing their equity work in farm to school, Nifee debiru (thank you)! Make sure to visit the Racial Equity Learning Lab to follow the Lab and Equity at USDA for more information on USDA’s progress.

USDA Makes Record-Breaking $14.3 Million Investment in Farm to School Grants

Grants will increase local foods in school meals and improve nutrition security for children

On July 15, 2024, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA awarded a record-breaking $14.3 million in Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grants to 154 projects in 43 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico. These investments will help 1.9 million children eat more tasty, nutritious foods in school while supporting farmers and producers in their local and regional communities.

“Farm to School is a huge win for children, schools, farmers, producers, and communities,” said Secretary Vilsack. “When schools have access to fresh, local food options with homegrown flavor, they can serve delicious, healthy dishes that kids are excited to eat while also supporting the local economy. These grants continue our work to address both food insecurity and nutrition insecurity, ensuring that we’re not only feeding kids, we’re feeding them well.”

Get the Full Scoop: For more details and the complete list of grantees, check out the press release.