Action alert: the $25 million school garden budget request, and join us March 18 and April 9 and 10

Happy spring! I'm reaching out on behalf of the California School Garden Coalition Leadership Team. We're excited to share some major updates and to ask for your help during a critical window. It's been a while since we've reached out, as the leadership team has been heads-down on the highest-leverage work we can do: moving forward legislation that can deliver sustainable, statewide support for school garden education.

Legislation Announcement:

1. $25 Million Budget Request for School Garden Education

Senator Sasha Renée Pérez, Chair of the Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education, is championing a $25 million budget request to fund K–12 garden-based education through the California Department of Food and Agriculture's Farm to School Program. This investment would reach an additional ~500,000 students, prioritizing communities that need it most. This funding is especially urgent right now, learn more here.

2. Legislation to Strengthen the School Garden Program

We are also working with the Senate Agriculture Committee on a bill to direct the old, unused, unfunded Instructional School Garden Program to CDFA's Office of Farm to Fork, where the Farm to School program is already successfully funding school garden education. This straightforward update cleans up code and aligns programs. More details are coming soon.

Building on Last Year's Momentum:

These efforts build directly on the bipartisan success of SB 341 (Pérez, 2025), which earned the support of 135+ organizations and demonstrated that school garden education has broad, cross-party support. While SB 341 was ultimately held in Senate Appropriations during a tough budget year, the momentum and relationships we built are now powering these stronger funding and policy efforts.

We Need Your Help, And We're on a Tight Timeline

The state budget process is moving fast. Here's how you can make a difference right now:

1. Join Our Coalition Meeting: March 18 from 2:00-3:00 PM
   1. We're holding a coalition-wide Zoom meeting on Wednesday, March 18 to share the full details of our advocacy strategy, provide tools and talking points, prepare for our Advocacy Day event, share about opportunities to collaborate (e.g.; join the leadership team, help organize Advocacy Day), and coordinate our collective efforts.
   2. Register for the March 18 Zoom Meeting
      1. If you are interested in attending but unavailable, you will still receive updates as you are a part of this contact list.
2. Join Advocacy Day: April 9–10 in Sacramento
   1. Come to Sacramento to meet directly with elected leaders and request that they support the legislation described above in addition to school garden education! Advocacy Day brings together coalition members, educators, students, and advocates for storytelling, policy discussions, and action at the Capitol.
   2. Learn More and Register for Advocacy Day: April 9–10, 2026
   3. We're also seeking sponsors for the event. Please consider a small contribution or invite a close funder if they would like to contribute. More details here.
3. Ways to Get Involved

Why This Moment Matters

School garden education improves student nutrition, boosts academic achievement, supports mental health, builds career pathways, and advances California's climate goals. Yet only about 9% of school gardens are actively used for instruction, and 72% of existing programs are concentrated in wealthier districts that rely on private fundraising.

Thank you for being part of this movement!

Warmly,

Linda Livers

On behalf of the California School Garden Coalition Leadership Team