USDA Announces Request for Applications for FY 2014 Farm to School Grants


Last Updated: January 16, 2013
 

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.

In this funding round, USDA is soliciting applications for three types of grants:

Planning grants are intended for school districts or schools just starting to incorporate farm to school program elements into their operations.

Implementation grants are intended for school districts or schools to help scale or further develop existing farm to school initiatives.

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 school districts or schools to further develop existing farm to school initiatives and to provide broad reaching support services to farm to school initiatives.

To assist eligible entities in preparing proposals, USDA will host a series of webinars related to the application process as follows:

March 5, 2013, 1:00 EST – Planning Grants

March 6, 2013, 1:00 EST – Implementation Grants

March 7, 2013, 1:00 EST – Support Service Grants

Proposals are due at midnight EST, April 24, 2013. In all cases, a 25% cash or in-kind match of the total project cost is required. For questions pertaining to the USDA Farm to School Grant Program, please go to http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/f2s/f2_2013_grant_program.htm