USDA invests in farm to school programs

HARWOOD, Md. — The USDA isinvesting in farm to school programs nationwide to help eligible schools improve the health and well being of their students and connect with local agricultural producers.

The new program will promote opportunities for nutrition and agriculture education while providing new economic opportunities for food producers of all kinds and communities nationwide.

The Farm to School Grant Program is part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which authorized and funded USDA to assist eligible entities, through grants and technical assistance, in implementing farm to school programs that improve access to local foods in eligible schools.

Purpose

The new investments will assist schools in procuring food from local producers. Farm to school initiatives can also include agriculture and nutrition education efforts such as school gardens, field trips to local farms and cooking classes

These grants, administered by USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service, will help schools respond to the growing demand for locally-sourced foods and increase market opportunities for producers and food businesses, including food processors, manufacturers, distributors and other value-added operations.

To fulfill the farm to school mandate in the HHFKA, effective Oct. 1, 2012, $5 million will be provided to USDA on an annual basis to support grants, technical assistance, and the federal administrative costs related to USDA’s farm to school program.

In this first funding cycle, FNS anticipates awarding up to $3.5 million in grants, while the remaining $1.5 million will support a combination of training and technical assistance, administrative costs, and/or additional farm to school grants.

Proposals

Letters of intent are suggested but not required by May 18, while proposals are due June 15. To assist eligible entities in preparing proposals, USDA will host a webinar related to implementation grants May 15 at 1 pm EST and a webinar related to planning grants May 17 at 1 p.m. EST.

For more information on webinars, the farm to school grant program, or USDA’s farm to school efforts in general, visit the USDA Farm to School website.