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Farm to School Grant Program
Schedule
Exciting change is underway
with the USDA Farm to School Grant Program! The Child Nutrition Act, the
authorizing legislation for the grant program, is currently in the
reauthorization process in Congress. The most recent version passed by the
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry includes changes that
impact the scope of the grant program.
In anticipation of change,
there will be a delay in the release of the FY2017 request for applications
from February to September. In addition to preparing for the potential changes in
the authorizing legislation, a schedule adjustment will allow time to review the
program’s current policies and procedures, taking into account feedback from
past applicants and grantees, and program evaluation results.
We will continue to keep you
updated on the USDA Farm to School Grant Program through The Dirt and our website. Thank you for your understanding during
this time of exciting change!
Below is the anticipated schedule:
- September 2016: Release
FY2017 request for Farm to School Grant applications
- November 2016: FY2017
Farm to School Grant applications due
- May 2017: Announce
awards
Interested in learning more
about the most recent version of the Child Nutrition Act? The National
Sustainable Agriculture Coalition breaks it down in this blog post.
Webinars: Planning for Farm to School Success
Don’t miss the upcoming webinars
in our Planning for Farm to School Success webinar series! You can find the entire menu of
topics on our website. Missed a webinar? Don't worry! All webinars are recorded and posted on our website.
Farm to School Menu Planning: February 18, 2:00 PM EST
Bring local products to life on your school menus! Chef Kent Getzin, Director
of Food Services in Wenatchee, WA will share a variety of ways to incorporate
local products into your school recipes, salad bars, and cycle menus so they
become permanent items in your kitchen inventory. Prepare for the presentation
by drooling over the local food featured in The Lunch Room: Wenatchee's
Farm to School Movement.
Food Safety: March
3, 2:00 PM EST
How can we ensure the safety of farm fresh food? We’ll share local food safety
best practices, including identifying safety measures for school gardens and
school salad bars.
Funding Announcements
USDA Grants Available for Food Service
Equipment
Can your farm to school program benefit
from new kitchen equipment? There’s a grant for that!
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack
announced the availability of $35 million in grants to help schools upgrade kitchen
equipment and infrastructure. These grants provide schools with funds to
purchase equipment to help meet national nutrition standards
and serve healthy meals with more whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean
protein and low-fat dairy, and less sodium and fat. Through a public-private
partnership with Fuel Up to Play
60, this $35 million investment will help ensure that children are greeted
by healthier school environments.
Schools can apply for USDA funding through their state or
for funds from Fuel Up to Play 60
directly. In both cases, funding will support the purchase of new equipment
and/or the renovation/replacement of equipment. Equipment may include large and
small items including utility carts, utensils, large-capacity food processors,
industrial scales, steamers, freezers etc. Infrastructure elements may include
building needs related to physical space, electricity, plumbing, ventilation
and other remodeling needs.
Funding Opportunities for Education,
Training, and Technical Assistance under the Food Safety Modernization Act
Last
week the U.S. Food &
Drug Administration (FDA) announced opportunities for funding to enhance food
safety under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Funding opportunities
are for
Native American Tribes Outreach, Education and Training and for Local
Food Producer Outreach, Education, and Training. Applications are due April
21, 2016. Projects will research and
identify outreach, education, training, and technical assistance needs; develop
and adapt materials; and deliver trainings that facilitate the integration and
understanding of federal food safety regulations and guidance.
Through education, training, and
technical assistance, funded projects will improve the integration and understanding of federal food safety
regulations and guidance among Native American tribes involved in agricultural
produce production and food manufacturing, and among owners and operators of
small and mid-size farms and businesses involved in local food production and
processing.
Eligible entities include community-based organizations; grassroots
organizations that advance tribal historical, cultural, and regional
agricultural production and processing practices; state, county, local, and Indian/Native
American Tribal Governments; and higher education institutions.
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