Buffalo City School District Receives $5 Million Grant for Food Infrastructure Improvements

A shot of Interstate 190, which directly goes through the Buffalo City School District in Buffalo, New York.Photo byPhoto by J.M. Lesinski

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced the awarding of roughly $10 million in funding for two educational institutions, one being the Buffalo City School District, via round one of New York’s Regional School Food Infrastructure Grant Program. 

“As Governor, I want to make sure that all New Yorkers have fresh, locally grown, nutritious foods to eat,” Hochul remarked of the funding. “The Regional School Food Infrastructure program tackles this challenge head on by ensuring that our schools have the equipment they need to cook from scratch. This is just one great example of how we’re connecting the dots within our food systems, reducing food insecurity while increasing market opportunities for farmers, and strengthening the resiliency of our state’s food system.”

With goals of improving meal prep, distribution, and access to more healthy, New York-grown food, recipients Buffalo City School District and Champlain Valley Educational Services (Clinton-Essex-Warren-Washington BOCES) both received an award of $5 million each. 

“The Buffalo Public Schools provide Buffalo students and those in the community with free locally grown fresh foods while at the same time creating a sustainable new marketplace for local socially-economically disadvantaged farmers and growers,” stated Buffalo Public School Superintendent Dr. Tonja M. Williams of the funding. “I applaud Governor Kathy Hochul and Agricultural Commissioner Richard Ball for providing this $5 million to help reduce food insecurity and ensure our students continue to receive high-quality nutritious meals that enhance their overall health and improve their readiness for learning. Again, this funding will go a long way towards providing our students with fresh and healthy foods when at school.”

The $5 million for Buffalo City School District will directly assist in installing a commissary to provide proper nutritional support to approximately 97 area schools, also establishing in the process: a vegetable preparation and processing area, ingredient room, packing system, and further infrastructure to directly support New York-grown ingredients, as well as community engagement via a local chef brigade and test kitchen. 

“Connecting local farms to school nutrition is a win-win for our students and New York’s farmers. Consistent, reliable access to nutritious meals is directly linked to improved student performance and to overall health and well-being,” New York State Education Commissioner Dr. Betty A. Rosa commented of the funding. “We appreciate the ongoing cooperation of the governor and the Department of Agriculture and Markets in ensuring that all students have access to a healthy diet. Through the Regional School Food Infrastructure Grant Program, we will build upon New York’s ongoing efforts to provide all students with access to healthy and nutritious meals made with fresh and local fruits, vegetables, and dairy products.”

Officially administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, the Regional School Food Infrastructure Grant Program will continue to award $5 million in funding to two more additional regions each round, until the five rounds of funding has been completed. 

“The Regional School Food Infrastructure program is supporting our farmers while ensuring that our children have enough local, fresh meals to fuel them as they learn,” noted New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball of the funding. “Today’s awarded projects are great examples of how we can collaborate to streamline and strengthen our food system here in New York State. I thank Governor Hochul for her support of this program and congratulate the awardees, and I look forward to seeing the impact that these projects will make in our Western New York and North Country communities.”