Report Highlights Benefits of Farm to School Investment

A new report compiled by researchers from UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, UC Berkeley, Food Insight Group, Berkeley Food Institute, and USDA documented the benefits to farmers and the environment from California’s investment in farm to school programs. The report shows that 57% of the farmers participating in the state’s Farm to School Incubator Grant Program made sales to schools between April and September 2023, representing an average of 33% of their total farm revenues. Furthermore, of the 50 producer grantees evaluated in this report, 42% are owned by people who identify as Black, Indigenous and People of Color, and 62% are owned by women. The report also explored the potential for positive environmental impact, since all the farmers participating in the program are using climate-smart agricultural practices. The project co-lead Gail Feenstra explained, “Decades of research shows the value to children from fresh, locally sourced food. However, what is becoming more clear from this research is that long-term investments in the full farm to school system are crucial.”