Purpose

The Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service, is designed for two purposes:

1. increase the availability of local foods in schools, and
2. connect students to the sources of their food through education, taste tests, school gardens, field trips, and local food sourcing for school meals.

For Fiscal Year 2025, the Farm to School Implementation Grant can launch new farm to school programs or expand existing efforts. Recipients must address both local sourcing and agricultural education objectives, improving access to local foods in eligible Child Nutrition Program sites through comprehensive farm to school programming. Project proposals should incorporate both purposes.

Eligible Entities

The following types of organizations are eligible to apply for the 2025 Farm to School Implementation Grant:

• schools and other institutions that operate child nutrition programs, including
  • non-profit private and charter schools, which operate the NSLP and/or SBP;
  • summer sponsors that have an agreement with the state agency to operate SFSP; and
  • child care institutions that have an agreement with the state agency to operate CACFP;
• Indian Tribal Organizations and Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs),
• agricultural producers or groups of agricultural producers,
• non-profit entities, and
• local agencies.

Please note additional details about eligible entities are provided in Section 3 of the Request for Applicants (RFA), which can be accessed by downloading the zip file found at Farm to School Implementation Grant.

Eligible Activities

Eligible activities during the 24-month project period include several methods for sourcing local foods for service in meal programs. The primary method is by purchasing or procuring foods from local producers, sometimes through intermediaries like distributors and food hubs, using allowable procurement methods. Program operators also source local foods by receiving donated foods from a variety of sources like school gardens, local producers, and local community organizations.

Eligible entities who would like to simplify project development and proposal may prefer to apply for a Farm to School Turnkey Grant, which provides pre-designed activities for frequently-proposed farm to school projects.

Awards

Total Amount to be Awarded:  $5,000,000

Award Floor: $50,000

Award Ceiling: $500,000

Expected Number of Awards:  75

Matching Requirement:  25% of Total Project Budget (cash or in-king contributions)

Important Dates

Application Due Date: January 10, 2025 at 11:59 pm, EST
Anticipated Award Date: July 2025

Next Steps

Please go to Farm to School Implementation Grant on Grants.gov and download the zip file under "Related Documents" for further information, or follow the link provided by the Department of Agriculture website:  Farm to School Program Resources for Applicants.

If you have difficulty accessing the full RFA electronically, please contact: Anna J Arrowsmith, Grants Officer, at Anna Arrowsmith, Grant Officer.