Tripling its investment in its second year, the charitable program will support
46 Ontario schools with food access and education.
Developed in close collaboration with Sustain Ontario and Farm to Cafeteria Canada, nourish to flourish received more than 500 applications during its inaugural year and distributed 30 grants totalling $55,000 to Ontario schools highlighting the need for this community support.
In its second year, nourish to flourish is set to provide $161,000 in grants to 46 Ontario schools – an increase of 53 per cent year over year. Applications for the 2025/26 school year will be open from May 1 to June 13, 2025, on the Sustain Ontario website. Grants will be awarded in four tiers based on the need for support and the application merits:
“Now, more than ever, we need to support our communities and make access to nutritious and healthy food for children easier in our province,” said Shawn Linton, President and General Manager at Farm Boy. “We’re grateful to continue supporting the program in its second year, with the opportunity to reach even more schools and meet the needs of the communities we’re proud to serve. Farm Boy has always focused on delivering an experience beyond the everyday grocery shop. It is at the heart of everything we do. The nourish to flourish program reflects that commitment by cultivating healthier school environments and lifelong healthy habits for Ontario students.”
Sustain Ontario and Farm to Cafeteria Canada will continue to play a pivotal role in this initiative to facilitate the application process, promote the program, support the school selection process, provide guidance to school communities through access to tools, resources, learning and knowledge sharing activities, as well as work with schools to share their stories of impact. The initiative builds on Farm Boy’s grassroots approach to local investment, while aligning with Empire’s commitment to nurture Healthier Tomorrows and increase access to healthy food for more families.
“The enthusiasm and engagement that we have seen as a result of the nourish to flourish initiative shows that this opportunity is invaluable,” said Phil Mount, Chair of the Board of Directors of Sustain Ontario. “We are proud of the work we have been able to do with Farm Boy and are thrilled to launch year two of the initiative and provide even more opportunities and support for Ontario school children.”
In the program’s first year, schools used grants to launch breakfast programs, build gardens, host cooking workshops and connect students to local food systems. As it grows, the program serves as a meaningful investment in student wellness, hands-on learning, and food literacy that is rooted in Farm Boy’s local investment approach. From May 29 to June 15, Farm Boy will launch an in-store fundraising campaign in-store to invite customers to donate at checkout in support of the nourish to flourish grants for the 2026/27 school year.
For more information about the nourish to flourish program, please visit farmboy.ca/nourishtoflourish.
About Farm Boy Company Inc.
Farm Boy delivers an exceptional fresh-market experience, offering a wide selection of products customers want, including fresh, long-lasting produce, high-quality meats, artisan cheeses, fresh dairy, and curated private label items, all at excellent value. Founded in Cornwall in 1981, Farm Boy has grown from a small produce store to 51 locations across Ontario, with further expansion plans on the horizon.
About Sustain Ontario
Sustain Ontario is a province-wide, cross-sectoral alliance that promotes healthy food and farming. Our mission is to provide coordinated support for productive, equitable and sustainable food and farming systems that support the health and wellbeing of all people in Ontario, through collaborative action. Sustain hosts the Ontario Edible Education Network, which supports individuals and organizations across the province to share resources, ideas, and experience and to make it easier for children and youth across Ontario to eat, grow, cook, celebrate, and learn about healthy, local and sustainably produced food.
About Farm to Cafeteria Canada
Farm to Cafeteria Canada (F2CC) is a national partnership-based charity whose purpose is to transform how food is experienced, learned and celebrated in all schools across Canada. F2CC achieves its mission by helping to grow the capacity of diverse school communities across the country to foster vibrant school food systems that connect students to food and the local systems that produce it. F2CC’s regional partnerships allow it to have national reach, while taking a community-based approach. F2CC has been proud to partner with Sustain Ontario since 2011, helping to transform school food environments across Ontario.
