BERKELEY, CA – According to the latest evaluation report by researchers from UC Berkeley, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR), the Berkeley Food Institute, and Food Insight Group, California’s Farm to School Incubator Grant Program has achieved significant milestones in its mission to transform school food systems while supporting local agriculture and environmental sustainability, according to a comprehensive evaluation report released today.

Since 2021, the program has awarded $86.8 million to connect students with locally sourced foods while creating market opportunities for small and mid-sized farmers, particularly those historically excluded from institutional markets.

School food is a $4.6 billion business in California. School meals in the new school year are likely to be a nutrition lifeline for California families in the face of deep federal food assistance program cuts, including cuts to SNAP and CalFresh, formerly known as food stamps.

“California’s farm to school grant program – and its complementary infrastructure and labor investments – are key to improving school meal quality and the resilience of the local food system,” said Dr. Beth Katz, Executive Director, Food Insight Group and a Co-Principal Investigator on the Farm to School Evaluation project. “These investments complement California’s universal school meals program, a vital intervention against hunger, particularly at a time when the federal government is cutting support for nutrition and local food programs.”

Exceeding Market Access and Climate Goals

The program surpassed all market access targets established in California’s “Farm to School Roadmap for Success.” While goals called for 25% (2022) and 40% (2024) of funding to reach small, mid-sized, or socially/economically disadvantaged producers, the program achieved 86% in 2022 and 100% in 2024.

Climate goals were similarly exceeded, with 53% of 2022 funding and 71% of 2024 funding supporting producers using verified climate-smart agricultural practices – well above the 25% and 40% targets. All 2024 food producer grantees used or planned to use multiple climate-smart practices, with 54% certified organic or transitioning.

Nurturing Student Experiences

The program is creating lasting educational impact across California schools:

• 92% of K-12 grantees promoted farm to school programs featuring California-grown and locally grown food
• 73% built or expanded 353 school gardens
• 68% linked food, garden, and agricultural education to existing school curriculum

Building Economic Resilience

School sales represented over 25% of total farm sales among participating producers, demonstrating a significant economic impact. Farmers benefited from $1.9 million in grant funds spent on local food.

“I have benefited from this grant so much,” said Javier Zamora, owner of JSM Organics. “It has helped me grow more things that schools serve like cherry tomatoes, blackberries, and strawberries. I have easily increased my revenue by 15% with these new sales to schools. It has also helped me better understand and comply with school districts’ buying requirements.“

Strong Support Network

Researchers found that the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Regional Leads provide essential technical assistance to grantees, helping school districts and producers navigate local food purchasing, grant reporting, and operational challenges. The program’s success reflects extensive collaboration with the California Office of Farmer Equity and dedicated relationship-building efforts.

In 2024, CDFA established a funding set-aside for Tribal applicants, resulting in $1.5 million in funding for five Tribal grantees – representing increased investment in Tribal communities compared to prior years.

Addressing Critical Challenges

The evaluation also identified critical needs requiring continued attention: infrastructure limitations in processing and kitchen capacity, school nutrition workforce shortages, and a lack of supply chain transparency that creates barriers for tracking program impact.

Looking Forward

The evaluation emphasizes that sustained, long-term funding will be essential to achieve the program’s maximum potential, as producers and school districts require assurance of ongoing support to make significant operational changes.

“California’s nation-leading Farm to School Program continues to raise the standard for healthy school meals and a healthier future. When you walk into a cafeteria and see kids enjoying fresh food grown by California farmers, you feel the impact immediately. This program supports student health, brings environmental and nutrition education into classrooms, invests in local farms using regenerative agricultural practices, boosts our economy, and helps us care for our land. Everyone benefits — kids, families, farmers, our communities, and California as a whole.

That’s the kind of progress we can all be excited about,” said First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom.

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About the California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program Evaluation

The Farm to School Incubator Grant Program is being evaluated by an independent team of researchers with expertise in food systems, policy analysis, sociology, spatial data collection and analysis, environmental science, and agricultural economics, and is funded by the state of California. The research team is tasked with providing a comprehensive analysis of the economic, environmental, and social impacts of the Farm to School grant program, including a final report at the end of 2026. The research team includes researchers and policy experts from UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, UC Berkeley, Food Insight Group, Berkeley Food Institute, and U.S. Department of Agriculture

The full report is available at: https://californiafarmtoschooleval.org/reports/2025-progress-reports/

Farm to School Data Dashboard is available at: https://ucanr.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/bf36958792174c938011dd74edc48293