Credit: USDA
May 6, 2025 - SACRAMENTO, CA. - On Monday, Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) presented Assembly Joint Resolution 6 (AJR 6) on the assembly floor today, calling on congress and the president to preserve federal funding for school meal programs. The resolution passed with unanimous bipartisan support.
“School meals are a lifeline for our kids and provide stability for our small family farmers,” said Aguiar-Curry. “Proper nutrition helps children succeed in school and for too many kids, school meals are their only meal of the day. For many communities, agriculture is their primary economic lifeline and this program helps build community relationships that keep them going. Preserving this funding feeds our kids and lowers the cost of healthy food while creating jobs, and strengthening our economy. With families struggling to afford to live, this funding is important.”
AJR 6 urges the federal government to reinstate over $70 million in anticipated funding for the Local Food for Schools and Child Care (LFSCC) program, which was established to build a more resilient food supply chain and has facilitated a connection between hundreds of California farms, schools, and food banks, leading to revenues for farmers, growers, and other food producers. This investment was expected to generate over $150 million in economic activity across California—while directly supporting the nutrition of schoolchildren and the livelihoods of local farmers—but the Trump Administration abruptly canceled it in March 2025.
“The passage of AJR 6 sends a strong, unified message that California is committed to protecting the livelihoods of our farmers and rural communities,” said Assembly Agriculture Committee Chair Esmeralda Soria (D-Merced). “Our food system depends on policies that prioritize economic resilience. I’m proud to support AJR 6 to highlight the urgent need for federal support to ensure California has a sustainable agricultural future.”
Aguiar-Curry, a farmer, mother, and lifelong advocate for rural California, emphasized the economic and social benefits of feeding students with locally grown food. Every dollar invested in local food systems produces an additional $2.16 in economic activity. The LFSCC program has already demonstrated success in California, with more than $23 million distributed in 2022 and 2023 to 319 school food authorities statewide.
“Who among us wants to go home and tell our constituents that we had the chance to feed hungry kids, support family farms, and strengthen our economy—and chose not to?” Aguiar-Curry asked her colleagues. “I’m happy we passed this resolution because it’s a win for everyone. But, I am disappointed that for some, partisan politics won over our kids and family farmers.”
AJR 6 now moves to the State Senate for consideration. If adopted by both chambers, it will be sent to congress.
Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry represents California’s 4th Assembly District, which includes all of Lake, Colusa, Napa, and Yolo Counties, and part of Sonoma County. She serves as the Assembly Majority Leader and Chair of the California Women’s Legislative Caucus.
Source: Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry
