WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today joined U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) in reintroducing the Farm to School Act, bipartisan legislation to get more fresh, locally grown foods in schools across the nation by expanding and investing in the Farm to School Program. The Senators’ legislation would increase annual funding for the program, reduce barriers to applying for Farm to School Program grants, and support initiatives that deliver fresh, local foods to schools nationwide.
“We all want our kids to eat well and get a quality education. The Farm to School Program has helped connect Vermont schools with fresh, local foods, and has supported nutrition and agriculture education. This program has also been a reliable lifeline for family farms as they face incredible economic pressures from all sides. Expanding this program would be a win-win for our kids and farmers alike,” said Senator Welch. “I’m proud to join Senators Collins and Blunt Rochester in this bipartisan effort to improve childhood nutrition, uplift small farms and rural economies, and support education across America.”
“The Farm to School Program helps provide nutritious, locally sourced food to Maine students while supporting family farms in their communities,” said Senator Collins. “Our bipartisan bill would help ensure that schools and nonprofits in Maine and across the nation can continue purchasing local foods for student lunches and offering innovative agriculture and wellness lessons.”
“For 15 years, the Farm to School Program has brought local foods to our students’ lunch tables while teaching them about nutrition and agriculture in their communities,” said Senator Blunt Rochester. “Supporting farmers, feeding children, and equipping them with valuable skills is a bipartisan effort. I’m proud to stand alongside Senators Welch and Collins to reintroduce the Farm to School Act and look forward to increasing our investment in the leaders of tomorrow.”
Since its creation in 2010 through the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act, the Farm to School Program has invested over $100 million in initiatives that feed children local foods at lunch and help teach students about food, nutrition, and agriculture in their communities. According to the 2023 Farm to School Census, school food authorities (SFAs) estimated that they spent about $1.8 billion on local food through the Farm to School Program—16% of their total food spending.
During the 2022-2023 school year in Vermont, over 93% of SFAs participated in the Farm to School Program, reaching 224 schools and feeding over 50,000 students across the state. Additionally, nearly 80% of Vermont SFAs provided food, nutrition, or agricultural education, and 59% of SFAs had operating food-producing gardens in the state.
However, the popular program—which is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)—is significantly oversubscribed, with less than a quarter of grant applications receiving funding each year. The Farm to School Act would increase the program’s mandatory funding from $5 million to $15 million per year and increase the maximum grant award to $500,000.
Additionally, the Farm to School Act would reduce barriers to applying for Farm to School Grants by granting USDA the authority to modify or waive the current 25% non-federal matching requirement. This legislation would also help grantees improve procurement and distribution of local food and expand the scope of the program to include pre-schools, summer food service, and after-school programs.
The Farm to School Act of 2025 is endorsed by the Food Research & Action Center, Hunger Free Vermont, and the National Farm to School Network (NFSN).
“Hunger Free Vermont is grateful to Senator Welch for championing the Farm to School Act. Investing in Farm to School strengthens our local food systems, supports Vermont farmers, and ensures that more children can enjoy fresh, nourishing foods at school,” said Anore Horton, Executive Director, Hunger Free Vermont.
“The Farm to School Act of 2025 will expand critical investments in the projects benefiting kids, farmers, and their local communities across the country. Building on ten years of the popular Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program, these improvements will allow more students to experience agriculture hands-on, maximize the health impact of federal child nutrition funding, spur new engagement with local farmers, circulate food dollars in communities, and strengthen the future of rural economies and our food system,” said Karen Spangler, Policy Director, National Farm to School Network (NFSN). “We’re grateful to Sen. Welch, Sen. Collins, and Sen. Blunt Rochester for recognizing the importance of this work.”
Learn more about the Farm to School Act of 2025.
Read and download the full text of the bill.
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