New York State Farm-to-School Grant Program 2026
Forecasted
New York State Farm-to-School Grant Program 2026 supports schools and partner organizations in strengthening supplier relationships to increase New York farm products purchased and served in K–12 meals.
Funder: New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets
Due Dates (Anticipated): March 2027 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: $50,000–$150,000 per award for two-year projects; $1,500,000 total funding
Summary: Supports projects that increase K–12 schools’ purchases of New York farm products through stronger school–supplier relationships.
Key Information: Increasing local food purchases must be the primary objective; food purchases themselves are ineligible expenses.
Description
The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets administers this competitive program to increase the volume and variety of New York farm products purchased and served by K–12 school food programs. Projects build relationships between schools and suppliers and should help schools move toward the New York State 30% Initiative, which links eligible New York food purchases to enhanced school lunch reimbursement.
Secondary goals include agricultural and nutrition education, improved nutrition, and new local culinary experiences for students. Education, gardening, taste-testing, and recipe development may complement procurement work but cannot replace it as the primary focus. Partnerships with producers or food processors are strongly encouraged. Projects may address barriers such as seasonal availability, storage and preparation capacity, procurement processes, delivery, culturally appropriate foods, and culinary staff training.
