Another $1.5 million is now available for school districts to support Farm-to-School programs across New York State ahead of the upcoming school year.

The program helps kindergarten-through-grade 12 schools increase the volume and variety of locally grown and produced food on school menus, improve student health, and educate young people about agriculture, according to a release from the governor’s office; the program also provides additional business to New York’s farmers.

Applicants eligible for Round 4 of the Farm-to-School program include public schools, charter schools, not-for-profit schools, and other entities participating in the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, or the Summer Food Service Program. The state is seeking proposals that will increase the capacity of schools to procure and serve locally produced food items in school meal programs.

Grant funding of up to $100,000 per project will be awarded for projects such as:

— Employing a local or regional farm-to-school coordinator;

— Training food-service staff to increase knowledge of local procurement and preparation of locally produced food;

— Purchasing equipment needed to increase capacity of school kitchen and food-service staff to prepare and serve locally produced food; and

— Making capital improvements to support the transport and/or storage of locally produced food.

Since 2015 when the program was launched, $1,825,000 has been invested to support 25 Farm-to-School projects benefiting 164 school districts across the state.

All applicants to the Farm-to-School Program must register and apply through Grants Gateway. Proposals must be received by Oct. 1 by 4 p.m. For more information, contact: William Shattuck at William.McMullen@agriculture.ny.gov.