An Act establishing farm to school grants to promote healthy eating and strengthen the agricultural economy

This bill creates a state grant program to help schools and childcare centers in Massachusetts buy local food and improve student nutrition. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will manage the program, which provides funding for kitchen equipment, staff training on cooking with local ingredients, and educational projects like school gardens. To receive money, applicants must be public schools or licensed childcare programs that serve meals through state or federal nutrition programs. The law also requires that grant distribution considers geographic, social, economic, and racial equity, and allows up to 15 percent of each grant to be used directly for purchasing locally grown food.