Farm to School Grant Program

 

The Farm to School program exists in order to assist eligible entities, through grants and technical assistance, in implementing farm to school programs that improve access to local foods in eligible schools.

Active 10.575 Food and Nutrition Service, Department of Agriculture B - Project Grants; L - Dissemination of Technical Information; M - Training Fiscal Year 2016 FY 2016: Planning - $1 million; Implementation - $1.4 million; Support service - $2.4 million; Training - $.7 million. FY 2016: Planning - $.8 million; Implementation - $1.5 million; Support service - $2.0 million; Training - $.5 million.
Fiscal Year 2017 Planning - $1 million; Implementation - $1.2 million; Support service - $2.2 million; Training - $.5 million.
Fiscal Year 2018 Planning - $0.8 million; Implementation - $4.1 million; Training - $.2 million
Fiscal Year 2019 Planning - $1.5 million; Implementation - $7.5 million; Training - $0.3 million
Fiscal Year 2020 For the Farm to School Grant it is anticipated that approximately 275 applications will be received and 125 awards will be granted in fiscal year 2020. For the Regional Farm to School Institute Grant, USDA anticipates making at least two awards in fiscal year 2020. Section 18 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA) to establishes a Farm to School program in order to assist eligible entities, through grants and technical assistance, in implementing farm to school programs that improve access to local foods in eligible schools., Title Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, Part 18, Section 243, Public Law 111-113 State Agencies, local agencies, Indian Tribal Organizations, small- and medium-sized agricultural/groups of agricultural producers, schools/school districts, and non-profit entities may apply for the Farm to School Grant. Only non-profit entities are eligible for the Regional Farm to School Institute Grant. Eligible entities, and therefore beneficiaries, include schools/school districts, Indian Tribal Organizations, non-profit organizations, schools, producer and producer groups and State and local agencies. For the Farm to School Grant, non profit organizations will be required to submit proof of 501(c) 3 non profit status and an AD 3030. SF-424, SF-424A, SF 424B, SF-LL, and the Grant Program Accounting System & Financial Capability Questionnaire and the farm to school grant application coversheet. For the Regional Farm to School Institute Grant, non profit organizations will be required to submit proof of 501(c) 3 non profit status, a copy of their bylaws, an AD 3030, SF-424, SF-424A, SF 424B, SF-LL, and the Grant Program Accounting System & Financial Capability Questionnaire. Additional credentials required for the Regional Farm to School Institute Grant include: applicants must work in a regional capacity and have five or more years of experience working across the farm to school supply chain to institutionalize farm to school within Child Nutrition Program systems, structures, and operations; produced at least one major publication, such as a report, toolkit, or white paper, related to farm to school in the last five years; and conducted regular, ongoing farm to school trainings, either in-person or virtual, for on the ground stakeholders, such as schools, school districts, Indian tribal organizations, agricultural producers and/or non-profit organizations, and have evaluation data detailing the effectiveness of such trainings. Preapplication coordination is not applicable. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. Please see the RFA for more information. All applications that are submitted by the published deadline will be screened for completeness and conformity to the requirements as announced in the RFA package. Grants are awarded by a competitive process via a review panel composed of trained external, FNS, and other Federal staff that will determine the technical merit of each grant application, provide a numerical score, and make recommendations to the selecting official. October 8, 2019 to December 13, 2019 This is the deadline for the fiscal year 2020 Farm to School Grant only. October 22, 2019 to December 27, 2019 This is the deadline for the fiscal year 2020 Regional Farm to School Institute Grant only. From 120 to 180 days. Regional Farm to School Institute Grant applications are anticipated to be approved/disapproved within approximately 90 days of the application close date. From 30 to 60 days. Applicants can submit appeals directly to the Grant Officer using the contact information provided in the request for application. From 120 to 180 days. A grantee (awarded applicant) may apply for a one time six month no cost extension should they have a bonafide need. Criteria for selecting Farm to School Grant proposals is detailed in the RFA and includes degree to which the project serves a school or school district with a high percentage of free and reduced price meal enrollment; need, readiness and likelihood of sucess; alignment with farm to school program goals; project design and management; sustainability and transferability; and appropriateness of budget plan. Criteria for selecting Regional Farm to School Institute Grant proposals is detailed in the RFA and includes applicant's experience; alignment with farm to school program goals; project design and management; strength of evaluation plan; sustainability; and appropriateness of budget plan. Assistance in improving access to local foods in eligible schools can take the form of: (i) Training; (ii) Supporting operations; (iii) Planning; (iv) Purchasing equipment; (v) Developing school gardens; (vi) Developing partnerships; and (vii) Implementing farm to school programs. Performance Reports: As a condition of receiving a grant, grant recipients shall agree to cooperate in an evaluation of the program carried out using grant funds. Upon selection of grant awardees, USDA will provide further guidance and direction regarding evaluation protocols and common indicators. Applicants should expect that evaluation protocols will include both process evaluations (qualitative and quantitative indicators of progress toward the objectives, accomplishment of activities) and outcome evaluations (to determine whether the objectives were met and what impact they had). The single Audit process and compliance supplement. The grantee must maintain records in accordance with the grant agreement. Such records must be retained for a period of three years after the date of submission of the final report for the fiscal year to which the records pertain. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching is mandatory. 25%. The applicant must provide at least 25 percent of the costs of the grant project as the federal share of costs for this grant cannot exceed 75 percent of the total cost of the project.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. Planning grants will be awarded for a one year time period, with an expected start date at/or near June 30, 2020. Implementation grants will be awarded for a 12 or 24 month period with an expected start date at/or near June 30, 2020. State Agency grants will be awarded for a 12 or 24 month period, with an expected start date at/or near June 30, 2020. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: by letter of credit. Regional Farm to School Institute Grants will be awarded for a 24-month time period, with an expected start date at or near March 1, 2020. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: by letter of credit. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: Letter. None/Not specified. Travis Hearn
3101 Park Center Drive
Alexandria, VA 22302 US
travis.hearn@usda.gov
Phone: 7033050404 https://www.fns.usda.gov/cfs/farm-school-grant-program 12-3539-0-1-605 (Cooperative Agreements) FY 18$5,100,000.00; FY 19 est $9,300,000.00; FY 20 est $10,000,000.00; FY 17$4,900,000.00; FY 16$4,887,067.00; - This obligation represents the planning, implementation and support service grants. FY 2018: Planning - $0.8 million; Implementation - $4.1 million; Training - $0.2 million FY 2019: Planning - $1.5 million; Implementation - $7.5 million; Training - $0.3 million Planning grants will range from $20,000 - $50,000 while Implementation grants will range from $50,000 - $100,000. State Agency grants range $50,000 - $100,000. Regional Farm to School Institute Grant awards will range from $50,000 - $100,000. FY18 average awards: Planning grants - $41,000; Implementation grants - $93,000; Training grants - $29,000 FY19 average awards: Planning grants - $44,000; Implementation grants - $92,000; Training grants - $37,000 Not applicable. Fiscal Year 2016 1. Support Service grants are intended for eligible entities working with schools or school districts to further develop and provide broad reaching support services to farm to school initiatives. 2. Implementation grants are intended to help schools or school districts scale or further develop existing farm to school initiatives. 3. Planning grants are for schools or school districts just getting started on farm to school activities and are intended to help these entities organize and structure their efforts for maximum impact by embedding known best practices into early design considerations. 4. Training grants are intended for eligible entities to support trainings that strengthen farm to school supply chains, or trainings that provide technical assistance in the area of local procurement, food safety, culinary education, and/or integration of agriculture‐based curriculum. 1. Support Service grants are intended for eligible entities working with schools or school districts to further develop and provide broad reaching support services to farm to school initiatives. 2. Implementation grants are intended to help schools or school districts scale or further develop existing farm to school initiatives. 3. Planning grants are for schools or school districts just getting started on farm to school activities and are intended to help these entities organize and structure their efforts for maximum impact by embedding known best practices into early design considerations. 4. Training grants are intended for eligible entities to support trainings that strengthen farm to school supply chains, or trainings that provide technical assistance in the area of local procurement, food safety, culinary education, and/or integration of agriculture‐based curriculum.
Fiscal Year 2017 1. Support Service grants are intended for eligible entities working with schools or school districts to further develop and provide broad reaching support services to farm to school initiatives. 2. Implementation grants are intended to help schools or school districts scale or further develop existing farm to school initiatives. 3. Planning grants are for schools or school districts just getting started on farm to school activities and are intended to help these entities organize and structure their efforts for maximum impact by embedding known best practices into early design considerations. 4. Training grants are intended for eligible entities to support trainings that strengthen farm to school supply chains, or trainings that provide technical assistance in the area of local procurement, food safety, culinary education, and/or integration of agriculture‐based curriculum.
Fiscal Year 2018 FY 2018: Planning - $0.8 million; Implementation - $4.1 million; Training - $0.2 million
Fiscal Year 2019 FY 2019: Planning -$1.5 million; Implementation - $7.5 million; Training - $0.3 million Examples of projects include: aggregating local food supply to more effectively meet the needs of school districts; testing products or conducting school food market feasibility analyses; training agricultural producers on how to access the school food market; organizing field trips to agricultural operations; developing new local food products or formulations to meet the needs of schools; improving infrastructure to accommodate new ingredients or menu items; forming statewide or regional networks or coalitions of varying kinds; and more.