Illinois School Food Projects Receive USDA-Backed Grants to Expand Local Farm-to-School Programs (Oak Park, IL) – Several Illinois organizations have been selected to receive funding through the Lake Michigan School Food System Innovation Hub to help bring more locally grown, nutritious food into K-12 schools while strengthening partnerships between farmers, food producers, and school districts.
The Innovation Hub announced its 2026 Illinois grantees, with each collaborative team eligible to receive up to $200,000 annually to develop projects that improve school meal programs, support regional agriculture, and expand students’ access to fresh, locally sourced foods.
The Lake Michigan School Food System Innovation Hub is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service through the Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative. The program supports projects across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin that connect schools with local food suppliers and agricultural producers.
“We’re thrilled to see Illinois organizations stepping up to build stronger food pathways between our farms and our schools,” said Gary Cuneen, executive director of Seven Generations Ahead, the Innovation Hub’s Illinois partner. “These projects are about making school meals more local, more delicious and more connected to the communities they serve.”
The four Illinois projects selected for 2026 include:
- Common Threads will lead “Culinary Education for Stronger School Food Systems” in partnership with The Common Market Great Lakes.
- Pilot Light will launch “Classroom to Cafeteria – Elevating Awareness of Midwest-grown Foods through Integration of Sourcing and Impactful Student/Parent Education,” partnering with Proviso Township High School District 209, The Common Market Great Lakes, and Ketapanen Kitchen.
- Southern Illinois Healthcare will oversee “Southern Illinois Healthy Schools” alongside the Sustainable Food Institute of America, Regional Office of Education #30, and LEAF Food Hub.
- Basil’s Harvest will implement “Resilient Operations & Outcomes for Transforming School Food Systems (ROOTS),” working with Tulip Tree Gardens, The Farms of Illinois, and the Central Illinois Farm-Fresh Enterprise Development Cooperative.
According to Seven Generations Ahead, the grants are awarded to collaborative teams that may include schools, farmers, food hubs, community organizations, distributors, and other partners working together to improve how locally produced food reaches students.
Cuneen said the projects are designed to benefit not only students by improving school meals but also local farmers and businesses by creating stronger regional food systems.
“These are practical, community-driven ideas that will make a real difference—not only for students, but for our food producers and local businesses as well,” he said.
This marks the second year of grantmaking through the Lake Michigan School Food System Innovation Hub, which aims to increase access to healthy school meals while supporting Midwest agriculture and local economies.
A complete list of the 2026 grant recipients is available through the Innovation Hub.
Illinois School Food Projects Receive USDA-Backed Grants to Expand Local Farm-to-School Programs
