New York Opens $10M School Food Infrastructure Grants

By Blake Jackson

New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that $10 million is available through the fourth round of the state’s Regional School Food Infrastructure (RSFI) Grant Program.

The initiative is designed to help expand the purchase, preparation and distribution of New York-grown and produced foods for K-12 students while creating additional market opportunities for farmers.

The RSFI program, introduced in Hochul’s 2023 State of the State agenda, has already awarded $30 million to organizations across six regions.

The funding supports facilities that can process, store and prepare fresh foods locally, helping schools provide nutritious meals made with more products from New York farms.

Round 4 is accepting proposals from organizations in the Capital Region, Southern Tier, Mohawk Valley and Finger Lakes. The program is part of the state’s broader farm-to-school efforts, which aim to address food insecurity, improve the resilience of the food supply system, and strengthen connections between schools and local agricultural producers.

“I’m proud to say that here in New York State, we have already made sure that our children have access to free breakfast and lunch, and we continue to make it a priority that those meals are increasingly sourced from our local farmers,” Governor Hochul said.

“The RSFI program is a huge part of this work, providing the funding our partners need to prepare and cook nutritious meals for our kids using fresh ingredients grown and produced in New York. The result is food that tastes homemade and delicious, food that kids want to eat, that keeps them fueled and ready to learn, and by buying it locally, we are also providing more market opportunities for New York farmers,” Hochul added.

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets administers the grant program. Funding can help establish regional facilities capable of collecting, storing, processing, and preparing agricultural products for school meals.

Supported projects can also provide workforce training in areas such as culinary skills, food processing, food safety, storage, logistics, and distribution.

Proposals must focus on improving K-12 meal preparation, expanding markets for New York producers, reducing food insecurity, and strengthening the food system. Facilities receiving grants must serve multiple school districts and their surrounding communities.

Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, municipalities, school districts, and Boards of Cooperative Education Services (BOCES). Grants can support capital improvements such as aggregation facilities, storage hubs, and commissary-style kitchens.

The state plans to distribute funding across all regions over five years. Proposals for Round 4 must be submitted by January 22, 2027, at 3 p.m.

For more information, visit https://agriculture.ny.gov/funding-opportunities.

Photo Credit: shutterstock-alex-brylov