Welcome
Thank you for your interest in the Farm to School Grant Program! On this page you will find an overview of the program, information about available funding and past awards, resources for current grantees and more.
Available Farm to School Grant Program Funding
USDA is Now Accepting Applications for FY 2017 Farm to School Grant Funding
We are excited to announce the release of the FY 2017 Farm to School Grant Program Request for Applications (RFA). Please visit our grants opportunities page for more information, including complete application instructions and frequently asked questions (FAQ).
Key Dates:
- September, 13 2016: Release the Farm to School Grant Program FY 2017 RFA. Click here for more information
- September 29, 2016: USDA hosted a webinar to review the RFA. Click here to listen to a recording.
- October 4, 2016: As noted in the RFA, state agency applications are a priority in FY 2017. USDA hosted a webinar for state agencies. Click here to listen to a recording.
- October 6, 2016: USDA hosted a webinar for Tribal organizations and those interested in partnering with Tribal organizations.
- December 8, 2016: FY 2017 Farm to School Grant Program applications are due in grants.gov by 11:59 pm EST
- May 2017: Announce awards
Other Funding Sources for Farm to School
Click here to view a chart that outlines other USDA programs that support farm to school initiatives. For additional information, please check out the Sustaining Your Program training module.
Overview
The purpose of the USDA Farm to School Grant Program is to assist eligible entities in implementing farm to school programs that improve access to local foods in eligible schools. On an annual basis, USDA awards up to $5 million in competitive grants for training, supporting operations, planning, purchasing equipment, developing school gardens, developing partnerships, and implementing farm to school programs.
Support Service grants are intended for state and local agencies, Indian tribal organizations, agricultural producers or groups of agricultural producers, and non-profit entities working with schools or school districts to further develop and provide broad reaching support services to farm to school initiatives.
Implementation grants are intended to help schools or school districts scale or further develop existing farm to school initiatives.
Planning grants are for schools or school districts just getting started on farm to school activities and are intended to help these entities organize and structure their efforts for maximum impact by embedding known best practices into early design considerations.
Training grants are intended for state and local agencies, Indian tribal organizations, agricultural producers or groups of agricultural producers, and non-profit entities to support trainings that strengthen farm to school supply chains, or trainings that provide technical assistance in the area of local procurement, food safety, culinary education, and/or integration of agriculture‐based curriculum.
Planning awards range from $20,000 - $45,000; implementation and support service awards range from $65,000 - $100,000; training awards range from $15,000 - $50,000. Matching funds of 25% are required for all four grant types.
Grant Awards to Date
Congratulations to the 74 projects that received a 2016 Farm to School Grant award! Nearly $5 million in grants were awarded to projects spanning 39 states to fund school districts, state and local agencies, tribal nations, agricultural producers, and non-profit organizations in their efforts to increase local foods served through child nutrition programs, teach children about food and agriculture through garden and classroom education, and develop schools’ and farmers’ capacities to participate in farm to school.
For a complete list of 2016 Farm to School Grant recipients, please see the 2016 Farm to School Grants summary. To read more about the grant announcement, please see the November 17, 2015 press release.
Hungry for more? Don't miss this photo gallery showcasing the great work of USDA Farm to School grantees, and read about past funded projects on our Grant Awards page.
FY 2013-2015 Summary of Grant Awards
This report, which provides an in-depth look at our first three years of grant-making, summarizes findings from an analysis of select data from projects funded during fiscal years (FY) 2013 -2015. It combines both quantitative data about planned activities derived from coding used during the proposal review process and qualitative stories about completed activities primarily from grantee progress reports.
The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act tasked USDA with supporting farm to school efforts through grants, training, technical assistance, and research. We’re pleased to support these programs, and feel confident the grantees whom we fund are establishing models that can be emulated and built upon by districts nationwide.
Grantee Resources
Current grantees can access the resources needed to manage the grant life cycle here. Can't find what you are looking for? Let us know!
Contact Us
For all questions pertaining to the USDA Farm to School Grant Program, please contact us via email at farmtoschool@fns.usda.gov. To receive information and updates from USDA’s Office of Community Food Systems, please sign up for our E-letter.