This year, we have an important opportunity to get more New York grown and raised food to students across the state. New York’s K-12 schools serve breakfast, lunch, snacks, and afterschool meals to 1.7 million schoolchildren, providing half of their daily calories on average. Incorporating fresh, locally grown food into these meals through Farm to School programs is an effective way to increase access to healthy food for kids and improve their academic performance while offering new markets for New York’s farmers. Since 2018, the Farm to School Reimbursement Incentive and Grants programs have worked hand in hand, promising to lead the nation in helping schools buy more local food.

But over the past five years, the Incentive program has yielded stagnant growth: out of 731 school districts across the state, only 57 have qualified for the 30% program in its fifth year, the same amount as in its second.

Research from American Farmland Trust has identified a critical issue in the program’s structure – the exclusionary focus on lunch has created an administrative barrier for school participation—especially larger city schools where a more racially diverse student body often faces food insecurity—and limits student access to healthy local food throughout the school day. We must expand the Incentive program to ALL school meals, which will increase student access to nourishing local foods and support New York farmers, while empowering more schools to reach 30%.

Policymakers in Albany are currently working to negotiate the state budget. Act NOW to ask your state representatives to support funding for New York’s Farm to School programs and expand the 30% incentive to all school meals to realize the full potential of our Farm to School programs in New York.

With just one click on the “Take Action” button, enter your information and send a customizable letter directly to your state representatives in support of strong funding for these critical programs which improve the health of our children and support our state’s farmers!