Farm to School Grant Program

posted

The program objective for the FY 2026 Farm to School Grant Program is to: Improve access to local foods in eligible CNP sites through comprehensive farm to CNP programming that includes local sourcing and agricultural education efforts. Proposed activities should clearly align with the objective and their associated activities and indicators. Careful consideration of proposed activities and indicators will prepare grantees for their progress reporting requirements if awarded. Examples of project activities that could be supported by FY 2026 Farm to School grants and support the required objective include, but are not limited to: Launching a pilot program that creates opportunities for eligible entities to create farm to CNP initiatives; Incorporating more unprocessed and value-added, minimally processed, locally or regionally sourced meal components into the CNP meals; Readying producers to participate in the CNP food marketplace by providing training on procurement regulations, Good Agricultural Practices, and other food safety-related topics; Improving infrastructure to accommodate new local ingredients or local menu items in CNP meals; Solving distribution bottlenecks that limit the feasibility of sourcing more locally or regionally produced items by working closely with intermediaries (e.g., distributors, food hubs); Integrating agricultural education with career and technical preparation programs to encourage the next generation of agricultural producers; Expanding experiential learning opportunities at CNP sites, such as creating school gardens, developing school-based farmers markets, providing support to agriculture/food clubs, and/or increasing exposure to local farms and on-farm activities; Encouraging increased consumption of fruits and vegetables in CNP sites through promotional activities, taste tests, and other activities featuring local products; Adopting agricultural education curricula that encourage the sharing of Indigenous traditional knowledge between generations, such as native plant varieties and planting practices; and Developing and implementing integrated curriculum to reinforce food and nutrition-based learning throughout the school environment or on a local farm(s).