# Farm to School Grant

Source: https://welltoldgrants.com/grants/usda-fns-2022-f2s-farm-to-school-grant/  
Official notice: https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/336252

> Food and Nutrition Service offered grants of up to $500,000 to nonprofits, state and local governments and tribes. It expected to make about 200 awards worth $12.0 million in total. Applications closed on January 10, 2022.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Opportunity number | USDA-FNS-2022-F2S |
| Agency | Food and Nutrition Service |
| Status | Forecast |
| Deadline | January 10, 2022 |
| Award ceiling | $500,000 |
| Award floor | not stated |
| Expected awards | 200 |
| Total funding | $12.0 million |
| Cost sharing | required |
| Assistance Listings | 10.575 |

## Who can apply

- County governments
- City or township governments
- Independent school districts
- Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

The following are eligible entities, which are described in more detail in the Request for Applications:• Institutions, including schools, school districts that operate the National School Lunch and/or Breakfast Program(s), and non-school based institutions that have an agreement with the State agency to operate CACFP and/or SFSP;• State agencies;• Local agencies;• Indian tribal organizations;• Agricultural producers or groups of agricultural producers; and• Non-profit entities. Entity type must be clearly indicated and unambiguous in all application materials. If USDA cannot determine the applicant to be an eligible entity based on information contained within the application, the applicant may be subject to removal from consideration.

## What the grant funds

The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA) (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) 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 USDA Food and Nutrition (FNS) Child Nutrition Programs, including the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Each year $5 million is provided to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support grants, technical assistance, and other activities related to USDA’s Farm to School Program. Additional funding for the Farm to School Program was made available from the FY 2018 through FY 2021 agriculture appropriations acts and, as a result, USDA expects to award approximately $12 million under this solicitation. The USDA Farm to School Grant Program is administered by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Office of Community Food Systems (OCFS). Authorizing language in Section 18(g) of the NSLA (42 U.S.C 1769(g)) directs the Secretary of Agriculture to award competitive grants, designed to improve access to local foods in eligible schools, for activities such as: • Training; • Supporting operations; • Planning; • Purchasing equipment; • Developing school gardens; • Developing partnerships; and, • Implementing farm to school programs. The NSLA also directs the Secretary to ensure geographical diversity and equitable treatment of urban, rural, and tribal communities in the distribution of grant awards, as well as give the highest priority to funding projects that, as determined by the Secretary: • Make local food products available on the menu of the eligible school; • Serve a high proportion of children who are eligible for free or reduced price lunches; • Incorporate experiential nutrition education activities in curriculum planning that encourage the participation of school children in farm and garden-based agricultural education activities; • Demonstrate collaboration between eligible schools, nongovernmental and community- based organizations, agricultural producer groups, and other community partners; • Include adequate and participatory evaluation plans; • Demonstrate the potential for long-term program sustainability; and, • Meet any other criteria that the Secretary determines appropriate.

## Questions people ask

### Is USDA-FNS-2022-F2S still open?

No. It closed on January 10, 2022.

### Who can apply for Farm to School Grant?

Food and Nutrition Service accepted applications from nonprofits, state and local governments and tribes. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.

### What is the deadline for Farm to School Grant?

Closed January 10, 2022. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.

### How much funding is available?

Awards of up to $500,000 each. About $12.0 million in total across about 200 awards.

### Who has won Farm to School Grant Program grants before?

The largest recipients over five fiscal years were Shelburne Farms, The National Center for Appropriate Technology Inc, The Tides Center. The program made 548 awards worth $49.9 million in that time.