The Farm to School Act of 2025 strengthens and expands a federal program that connects local farms with school meals and educational activities. The bill increases funding for the program from $5 million to $15 million annually through 2031, making it easier for schools and other institutions to buy fresh food directly from nearby farmers, ranchers, and fishers.

The law expands who can participate beyond just schools to include colleges, universities, and early childhood programs. It supports three main types of activities: growing food on school grounds, purchasing from local agricultural producers, and teaching students about nutrition and farming. The bill also makes it easier for smaller farms and disadvantaged farmers to participate by allowing the government to waive matching fund requirements in certain cases, and it specifically prioritizes projects serving Native American communities that use traditional tribal foods.

The bill addresses practical challenges farmers and schools face by funding improvements to how local food gets collected, processed, transported, and distributed. It requires the government to study and report on regulatory barriers that make it harder for small farms to sell to schools, and it provides technical assistance to help farmers understand and participate in these programs. Individual grants are capped at $500,000 and can last up to three years, with the government aiming to award grants of different sizes to match different project needs.