# US state school meal programs supporting local agriculture

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/us-state-school-meal-programs-supporting-local-agriculture
> Updated: 2026-08-07T17:40:00.000Z. Sources: 5. Developments: 2.

In California, the Farm-to-School program has been made a permanent part of the state Department of Food and Agriculture. The program, which has been active since 2021, connects local food producers with school districts to provide fresh meals to students. 

Similarly, in Colorado, the Healthy School Meals for All Program is expanding through voter-approved funding. This initiative provides grants to school districts for local food purchases and includes allocations to increase pay for cafeteria staff, aiming to support both student nutrition and the regional agricultural economy.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-07: Colorado school meal funding to support local producers

Colorado's Healthy School Meals for All Program will provide over $15.4 million in grants to help school districts purchase food from local producers facing drought and rising costs.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/colorado-school-meal-funding-to-support-local-producers

### 2026-08-03: California makes Farm-to-School lunch program permanent

California has made its Farm-to-School lunch program permanent, extending grant‑funded fresh‑food meals to 500 districts and investing over $1 billion in healthier school nutrition.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/california-makes-farm-to-school-lunch-program-permanent

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Cite as: US state school meal programs supporting local agriculture. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/us-state-school-meal-programs-supporting-local-agriculture