Farm to School Act of 2023

This bill reauthorizes and expands the farm to school program, which helps schools and other eligible institutions connect with local agricultural producers and provide food, garden, and nutrition education. It updates definitions, expands eligible participants, increases funding, and adds new priorities and reporting requirements.

Sec. 2, Access to local foods: Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program: The bill amends the program to include land-grant colleges and universities as eligible institutions, and adds fisheries and farm-raised fish to the definition of agricultural producers. It expands the program to include grants, technical assistance, research, and evaluation, and allows funding for innovative approaches to aggregation, processing, transportation, and distribution of local food. The maximum grant amount is $500,000, with a term of up to 3 years. The bill adds new priority criteria for grants, including projects that incorporate culturally appropriate food education, serve socially disadvantaged children, and expand local commodities for eligible institutions. It also gives highest priority to Tribal community projects that incorporate traditional foods from Tribal producers. The Secretary must provide technical assistance to increase awareness among beginning, veteran, and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. The bill requires a report every 3 years on barriers to farm to school programs, including regulatory costs and market access for small-scale and Tribal producers. The authorization of appropriations is increased from $5,000,000 to $15,000,000, with no more than 5% allowed for administrative costs. The program is reauthorized for fiscal years 2023 through 2028.