USDA Launches Harvest to Hallways With Up to $95 Million for School Kitchens and Local Food

USDA’s new Harvest to Hallways initiative aims to bring more locally produced food into school meal programs while investing in the kitchen equipment cafeteria workers need to prepare and serve meals. wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has launched a new initiative aimed at changing both what schools serve students and how cafeterias prepare those meals.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Harvest to Hallways on August 24, 2026, at USDA headquarters. The initiative includes up to $70 million connected to school cafeteria infrastructure and up to $25 million in additional Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grants for fiscal year 2026, along with efforts to make it easier for schools to purchase food produced closer to home.