Dawn Addison Hawkins
dawn.addison@usda.gov
703.305.2450
farmtoschool@usda.gov

The Farm to School Grant Program provides funding to plan, establish, and/or sustain a Farm to School program that improves access to local foods in schools.

Grants will be made under 3 tracks:

1. Implementation grants are to help schools or school districts expand or further develop existing farm to school initiatives.
2. Planning grants are for schools or districts just getting started on farm to school activities.
3. State agency grants are intended to increase the amount of local food served in eligible schools by funding state agencies to support and grow farm to school efforts in their states.

Additional funding priorities for the 2020 grant cycle include:

• Applications from tribal organizations and entities serving native communities
• Projects that serve a high proportion of children (at least 40% or more) who are eligible for free or reduced price meals
• Projects located in or targeting Opportunity Zones

In selecting awards, USDA will seek to ensure geographical diversity and equitable treatment of urban, rural, and tribal communities.

Resources:

• USDA Community Food Projects program website
• USDA grants and loans that support farm to school activities fact sheet
• Community Food Projects technical assistance website
• Farm to School Planning Toolkit
• Summary of previous grant awards
• Reports on awards to date

Applications will be accepted from:

• State and local agencies
• Tribal organizations
• Agricultural producers or groups of agricultural producers
• Nonprofit entities
• Eligible schools and school districts

Eligible schools are defined as pre‐K‐12 School Food Authorities (SFAs), non‐profit private schools, charter schools, Indian tribal schools, and others that participate in the National School Lunch or Breakfast Programs.

Award amounts:

• Implementation grants: $50,000 - $100,000
• Planning grants: $20,000 - $50,000
• State agency grants: $50,000 - $100,000

Expected Number of Awards: 275

Applicants must provide a 25% non-federal match in the form of cash or in-kind contributions.

Links to the full announcement and online application process are available through grants.gov. The application instructions will be found on the related documents tab.

Applicant webinar
October 23, 2019
3:00 p.m. Eastern
Instructions will be posted on the Resources for Applicants page.