Focus Areas

Farm to School Food Access Communication

California Farm to School Program


Farm to school programs are a vital way to improve the health and well-being of California schoolchildren through integrated food-based education and healthy food access. California schools serve hundreds of millions of meals each year, and expanding opportunities for local food procurement that is tied to food-based education is essential for establishing healthy eating habits that children can carry into adulthood. Procurement of more California grown or produced food also supports connecting California's agriculture and food production to California consumers.

While individual farm to school programs vary based on their unique vision, community, and geographic region, the CDFA broadly considers farm to school programs as combining: (1) schools and early care and education (ECE) programs buying California grown or produced foods from California food producers for school meal programs, and (2) hands-on food education opportunities that engage students and connect the classroom with the cafeteria, such as activities in school gardens, on farms, in culinary classes, in settings that celebrate traditional foodways and cultivate food sovereignty, and through other experiential learning pathways. Programs may include forest-to-school, river-to-school, and ocean-to-school.

On this page you can find information about farm to school, grant opportunities, ways to get involved, and contact information for the CDFA Farm to School Program team.

About Us
Funding History + CDFA Farm to School Team Contact Info
Grant Opportunities
Farm to School Incubator Grant Program, Local Food for School, School Food Best Practices
Events
CFSN Community of Practice Calls, Biennial Farm to School Conference
Planting the Seed: Farm to School Roadmap for Success
 

CA Farm to School Newsletter

To stay up to date on all things farm to school, please enter your contact information below to sign up for our newsletter.

2024 Report to the Legislature

In 2024, CDFA submitted the following report to the legislature with relevant programmatic updates.
Read the report.

Job Opportunities

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To learn more about the farm to school staff members in each region, please view the "About Us" dropdown.

Questions?

Contact our Farm to School team at cafarmtoschool@cdfa.ca.gov