NEW YORK STATE — Governor Hochul on June 16 announced that 19 farm and food organizations are being awarded a total of $13.7 million through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) Grant Program.

As part of this round of funding, the Livingston Manor Central School District received $125,682.00 for a farm to school bread project. 

Livingston Manor School District will establish an agreement with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and the Farm and Food Growth Fund to expand its bread production. With new convection ovens and other bakery equipment, the school district will be able to source more local flour and other ingredients to produce bread products for school meals.

Livingston Manor School District plans to bake bread for distribution to other school districts across Sullivan County as well, advancing a State goal of procuring at least 30% of school food from New York farmers. The collective increase in demand will make local flour more competitive in the region, lowering costs for the schools and increasing profits for producers.

“Farmers are our lifeblood – they nourish our families and fuel our economy, and it is more important than ever that we invest in projects that bolster our local food supply chain here in New York State,” Governor Hochul said. “The Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program provides critical funding to make our food systems at the local and state level more resilient for years to come by investing in projects that modernize agricultural facilities, improve training, and facilitate the purchase of new equipment. I’m proud to support this great work and shore up a strong future for New York State.”

First announced in May 2024, the RFSI Grant Program offers a total of over $14.7 million through two grant opportunities — Infrastructure Grants and Equipment-Only Grants — to provide capital and technical assistance to farmers and food businesses operating at the middle of the supply chain, helping to enhance coordination throughout the food system and improve access to markets for farmers. Grants of $13.7 million are being awarded to 19 projects across the state through the program’s Infrastructure Grants, which support projects focused on the aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, or distribution of agricultural food products.