Office of Farm to Fork: California Farm to School Program.

Assembly Member Aguiar-Curry's California Farm to School Act establishes a new statewide program connecting local agriculture with school food systems through the Office of Farm to Fork. The program mandates increased procurement of California-grown, minimally processed foods for school meals while expanding hands-on food education opportunities through school gardens, farm visits, culinary classes, and other experiential learning pathways.

The Office of Farm to Fork will develop and administer several initiatives, subject to funding availability. These include advancing a farm-to-school network, facilitating relationships between local producers and school personnel, promoting agricultural best practices, and administering an Incubator Grant Program. The office must coordinate with the State Department of Education and Department of Social Services in developing the program's components.

The legislation creates a dedicated Farm to School Account within the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund to receive federal, state, industry, philanthropic, and private funding sources. These funds become available for program activities upon legislative appropriation. The Department of Food and Agriculture maintains authority to adopt regulations necessary for implementing and administering the program.