AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 17, 2025

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 22, 2025

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

97

Introduced by Assembly Member Aguiar-Curry

February 14, 2025

An act to add Chapter 15 14.5 (commencing with Section 49030) 49025) to Division 17 of the Food and Agricultural Code, relating to food and agriculture.

Vote: majority   Appropriation: no   Fiscal committee: yes   Local program: no

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Existing law creates the Office of Farm to Fork within the Department of Food and Agriculture, and requires the office, to the extent that resources are available, to work with various entities, including, among others, the agricultural industry and other organizations involved in promoting food access, to increase the amount of agricultural products available to underserved communities and schools in the state.

This bill would establish the California Farm to School Program, to be developed, administered, and implemented by the office, as specified, for purposes of cultivating equity, nurturing students, building climate resilience, and creating scalable and sustainable change in the school food system. The bill would require that the program to increase procurement of foods that are grown or produced in California and are whole or minimally processed from food producers in California for school meal programs and to increase hands-on food education opportunities that engage pupils and connect the classroom with the cafeteria. The bill would authorize the office, to the extent that funding is available, to implement initiatives under the program, including, but not limited to, initiatives that advance the California farm to school network and increase the nutritional profile of foods provided in schools. The bill would require the office to administer the California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program under the program. The bill would create the Farm to School Account in the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund, consisting of funds from federal, state, industry, philanthropic, and private sources, which the bill would make available to the department upon appropriation by the Legislature for purposes of the program.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Chapter 14.5 (commencing with Section 49025) is added to Division 17 of the Food and Agricultural Code, to read:

Chapter 14.5. California Farm to School Act

49025.

This chapter shall be known, and may be cited, as the California Farm to School Act.

49031.49025.1.

(a) The California Farm to School Program is hereby established, under the administration of the Office of Farm to Fork, for purposes of cultivating equity, nurturing students, building climate resilience, and creating scalable and sustainable change in the school food system.

(b) The California Farm to School Program shall increase procurement of foods that are grown or produced in California and are whole or minimally processed from food producers in California for school meal programs and increase hands-on food education opportunities that engage pupils 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.

(c) To the extent that funding is available, the office may implement initiatives under the California Farm to School Program, including, but not limited to, initiatives that do all of the following:

(1) Advance the California farm to school network.

(2) Provide resources and facilitate relationships between local producers and school personnel and encourage opportunities to incorporate best practices such as scratch cooking, hands-on education, Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), climate-smart agricultural practices, certification, and insurance.

(3) Increase the nutritional profile of foods provided in schools.

(4) Facilitate a California Farm to School Interagency Working Group.

(d) The office shall administer the California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program under the California Farm to School Program.

(e) The office shall develop the programming for the California Farm to School Program in consultation with the State Department of Education and the State Department of Social Services.

49032.49025.2.

The department may adopt regulations necessary to implement and administer the California Farm to School Program.

49033.49025.3.

The Farm to School Account is hereby created in the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund. The account shall consist of funds from federal, state, industry, philanthropic, and private sources. Moneys in the account shall be available to the department upon appropriation by the Legislature for purposes of the program. California Farm to School Program.