Governor Kathy Hochul today announced, during Farm-to-School Month, that $10 million is available through Round 3 of New York’s Regional School Food Infrastructure (RSFI) Grant Program to bring more New York food to New York school children. The program supports projects in New York schools that improve meal preparation and distribution for Kindergarten through Grade 12 students. First announced in the Governor’s 2023 State of the State, the RSFI program provides $50 million over five years to eligible applicants to facilitate the on-site processing and preparation of fresh, nutritious meals, increase the use of more healthy, local New York food products, and provide a boost to New York farmers. The program is just one example of the many ways that New York State prioritizes reducing food insecurity and supporting farmers, in contrast to the federal government’s reckless cuts to critical nutrition programs.
“As this irresponsible federal government shutdown continues following the Trump administration’s dangerous cuts to food programs, I’m proud to say that here in New York State, we’re continuing to advance our goals of reducing food insecurity while increasing market opportunities for farmers,” Governor Hochul said. “Our Regional School Food Infrastructure program brings our farmers and our schools together, supporting our agricultural industry while ensuring that our children have enough local, fresh meals they need to learn and thrive. The funding for these projects will provide the much-needed support to help schools prepare delicious, fresh foods from scratch for our students in their own facilities, further strengthening the resiliency of our food system.”
Administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, the Regional School Food Infrastructure Grant Program is providing New York schools the resources they need to prepare fresh, nutritious meals for students from scratch. Funding from the program will go toward developing facilities to allow organizations to aggregate, store, process, and prepare farm products on-site. The program also encourages workforce development by providing training to schools, communities, and students in culinary arts, food processing, safe food handling and storage, logistics, delivery, and more, based on community need.
The availability of funding was announced at a special event today on Long Island where State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball visited East End Food Institute to also celebrate the organization’s progress on a state-of-the-art Food Hub that is supported in part by $5 million in State funding received through Round 2 of the RSFI program. The Commissioner and guests toured the under-construction facility and additionally planted the first herbs for the Institute’s planned community food garden.
East End Food Institute, which was one of two recipients of the second round of the program, is using the funding to continue work on their Food Hub, which is positioned to serve as a centralized hub for food aggregation, processing and distribution in the Long Island Region. The project will focus on addressing logistical challenges that schools and institutions face in sourcing local food, such as constraints around bidding, pricing and distribution. East End Food Institute will incorporate workforce development training into the project by providing staff with training focused on food preparation and production. Renderings of the planned Food Hub are available on the Department’s website. This project will support the Southampton Union Free School District, Westhampton Beach School District, Riverhead Central School District (CSD), Copiague School District, North Shore School District, and Half Hollow Hills School District.
Additional RFP Information
Project proposals should be regionally focused on improving meal preparation for K-12 school children, reducing food insecurity, increasing market opportunities for New York State producers, and strengthening the resilience of our state’s food system. The program requires that funded facilities serve multiple school districts and support their local community, including by providing workforce development opportunities. Grant funds are available for the costs of capital projects to support the preparation and distribution of fresh meals for regional school infrastructure, such as aggregation, storage hubs, and/or commissary-type kitchens. Eligible applicants include not-for-profit organizations, local municipalities, school districts, and Boards of Cooperative Education Services (BOCES).
Funding will be awarded to every region of the state over the course of five years, awarding $5 million every year to two different regions at a time. The first round of funding was awarded to projects in Western New York and in the North Country, with the second round of funding going to projects on Long Island and in Central New York. Two additional regions will be awarded $5 million each in subsequent rounds, until all regions are awarded.
Round 3 proposals are due on January 20, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. For more information on the program, project eligibility, and how to apply, visit agriculture.ny.gov/Funding-Opportunities. An informational webinar covering important details of this Request for Proposals can be viewed here.
New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “One of our priorities at the Department is ensuring that New York farmers can get their fresh, local food items directly into our communities, and ensuring our schools have the equipment they need to cook from scratch and use ingredients made by our farmers and producers is a crucial part of that effort. Through the first two rounds of the program, we are already seeing some exciting progress on projects like a new Food Hub spearheaded by the East End Food Institute that will benefit farmers and students alike. I thank Governor Hochul for her continued support of this critical program and encourage all eligible applicants to consider applying for Round 3, which provides an opportunity to strengthen our food system and provide delicious, healthy and locally sourced meals to our students while supporting our farmers.”
East End Food Institute Executive Director Marci Moreau said, “The ongoing support from Governor Hochul and Commissioner Ball through the Regional School Food Infrastructure program is transforming food systems in New York and helping to build more resilient local food networks. All of us at East End Food are deeply grateful for this partnership, which brings our farmers and schools together, supporting local agriculture while ensuring that every child has access to fresh, nourishing meals. At East End Food Institute, we believe that when we bring farmers and schools together, the process of education itself is enhanced and students gain not only healthier meals, but also a deeper understanding of where their food comes from and the people who grow it. These funds are pivotal in helping us build a stronger, more connected food system, one that feeds body, mind, and community. We are grateful for this opportunity and remain committed to honoring it through our work every day.”
Southampton Schools Director of Food Services Regan Kiembock said, “As a school food service director for over 25 years with a strong passion for farm-to-school, I am thrilled about the investment that New York State and our Governor have made to increase access of local foods to our students in our schools here on Long Island. The East End Food Institute will be a valuable resource for all who are committed to providing our students with fresh, local, and healthy food in our schools’ cafeterias by not only making it easier for us to connect and purchase from our farmers and local producers, but also allowing us to have a workforce development program to train staff on more scratch food preparation. This is a true win-win for all.”
State Senator Michelle Hinchey said, “The result of federal cuts to food security programs is that children and families across New York will not have access to the meals they need. Everywhere the state can make a difference to protect people and expand food access, we are taking action. That includes supporting the Regional School Food Infrastructure Grant Program, which gives schools the capital funding to store, cook, and serve fresh, healthy food—while also helping New York farmers get their high-quality products onto students’ plates. I thank Governor Hochul and Commissioner Ball for prioritizing this critical program, and encourage all eligible applicants to apply.”
Assemblymember Donna Lupardo said, “The Regional School Food Infrastructure Grant Program has helped schools and other institutions incorporate fresh, local produce into the meals they serve. The program supports NY’s hardworking farmers, encourages the consumption of healthy and nutritious foods, all while strengthening local food systems. I encourage school districts to apply for this third round of funding; these critical infrastructure investments will pay dividends for years to come.”
Assemblymember Jodi Giglio said, “The Regional School Food Infrastructure Grant Program will help to ensure our students here in the North Fork have the nutritious, locally sourced foods they need to help them learn. In addition to that, the program supports our local farmers, so it is a true win-win for all. I congratulate East End Food Institute on this award and look forward to seeing the project come to fruition.”
East End Food Institute Program Director and Soul Creations Apothecary and Herb Farm Owner Kayla Barthelme said, “It’s an honor to welcome Commissioner Ball and our community to the East End Food Hub. As a small farmer and herbalist on the East End, I grow medicinal herbs and work alongside other local growers, producers, and educators who share one mission: to keep our community healthy, connected, and nourished from the ground up. For those of us who farm out here, this project represents so much more than a building — its hope for the future of local agriculture. The East End Food Hub will give growers the infrastructure we’ve long needed to process, store, and distribute our products efficiently and affordably. It will help keep food grown on Long Island on Long Island — feeding our schools, hospitals, and families, while giving farmers the stability to keep doing what they love. We often talk about ‘growing community,’ and that’s exactly what this project does. It strengthens the roots between farmers and neighbors, and reminds us that when we invest in local food, we’re really investing in people — in resilience, sustainability, and the shared story of this land.”
In addition to the Regional School Food Infrastructure Grant Program, Governor Hochul continues to prioritize increasing access to food for students and for all New Yorkers, with the Department of Agriculture and Markets implementing an array of programs to build a more resilient food system and ensure that farmers can connect with new local markets.
Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York State continues to support the Nourish New York program, the 30 Percent NYS Initiative for school meals, the Farm-to-School program, the FreshConnect Fresh2You initiative, the Food Access Expansion Grant Program, the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Programs, the Urban Farms and Community Gardens Grants Programs, and more. These investments build on the Governor’s commitment to boost demand for New York agricultural products, bolster New York’s food supply chain, and ensure all New Yorkers can access fresh, local foods. This includes the Governor’s Executive Order 32 directing State agencies to increase the percentage of food sourced from New York farmers and producers to 30 percent of their total purchases within five years. The Governor has also committed $25 million toward the New York State Grown & Certified Infrastructure, Technology, Research and Development Grant Program to assist food producers, processors, distributors, and others using New York ingredients to bring innovative NYS Grown & Certified products to market.
Governor Hochul also announced in June, $13.7 million in funding for 19 projects statewide through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Grant Program to provide capital and technical assistance to farmers and food businesses operating at the middle of the supply chain, helping to enhance coordination throughout the food system and improve access to markets for farmers. This investment will help connect the dots between our state’s food producers and retail operations.