Time is running out! Only 3 days remain until the Farm to School RFA closes!

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Volume 3, Issue 32, December 5, 2017

The Dirt - New and Notes from FNS's Office of Community Food Systems
Children eating School Lunch

FY 18 Farm to School Grant RFA is closing soon!

Time is winding down and there are only three days left before the FY 18 Farm to School Grant Request for Applications closes! The purpose of the USDA Farm to School Grant Program is to assist eligible entities in implementing farm to school programs that improve access to local foods in eligible schools. On an annual basis, USDA awards up to $5 million in competitive grants for training, supporting operations, planning, purchasing equipment, developing school gardens, developing partnerships, and implementing farm to school programs.

For FY 2018, we offer the following grants:

  • Implementation grants are intended to help schools, school districts, state and local agencies, Indian tribal organizations, small- and medium-sized agricultural producers or groups of small- and medium-sized agricultural producers, and non-profit entities working with schools or school districts to scale or further develop existing farm to school initiatives. Implementation awards range from $50,000 - $100,000.
  • Planning grants are for schools or school districts, state and local agencies, Indian tribal organizations, small- and medium-sized agricultural producers or groups of small- and medium-sized agricultural producers, and non-profit entities working with schools or school districts that are just getting started on farm to school activities. These funds are intended to help entities organize and structure their efforts for maximum impact by embedding known best practices into early design considerations. Planning awards range from $20,000 - $50,000.
  • Training grants are intended for state and local agencies, Indian tribal organizations, small- and medium-sized agricultural producers or groups of small- and medium-sized agricultural producers, and non-profit entities to support training that strengthens farm to school supply chains, or training that provides technical assistance in the area of local procurement, food safety, culinary education, and/or integration of agriculturebased curriculum. Training awards range from $20,000 - $50,000.

Putting the final touches on your application? Here are four tips to take your application to the next level!

1. Leverage the application checklist

  • Review the Application Checklist found on page four of the RFA to ensure that all necessary documents are included in your grant application. Please note: FY 18 Farm to School applicants do not have to submit signed letter(s) Stating Evidence of Critical Resources and Infrastructure.
  • Use the correct version of the farm to school coversheet! The correct version requests school enrollment data as of the 2016-2017 school year on the third page.

2. Incorporate the FY 18 Farm to School funding priorities

  • The Farm to School Grant Program is a competitive funding stream. Last grant cycle, only 1 in 5 applications were selected for funding!
  • Enhance your proposal’s competitive edge by incorporating the FY 18 Farm to School Grant funding priorities (found in section 1.4 of the RFA) as much as possible.

3. Put your application to the test with our scoresheet

  • Have a friend or colleague score your proposal using the scoresheets found in section 5.2 of the RFA. (Pro tip: Try to find someone who has not been involved with preparing the proposal.)
  • Strengthen your application by addressing any issues, missing information, or gaps in logic highlighted by the review.
  • Remember, strong applications answer required questions, provide proper justification, use appropriate grammar, and incorporate relevant data to present a compelling narrative.

4. Visit the Farm to School Applicant Resource webpage 

Complete applications must be submitted on grants.gov by 11:59 pm ET on December 8, 2017. Late and/or applications submitted outside of grants.gov will not be accepted. Questions or concerns? Contact us at farmtoschool@fns.usda.gov.


USDA Farm to School Program FY 13 - 17 Summary of Grant Awards

The results are in! We have updated our annual Summary of Grant Awards report which provides a cumulative snapshot of demand for the Farm to School Grant Program, distribution of awards, and funded project activities. We are proud to share that the Farm to School Grant Program has funded at least one project in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands! The Farm to School Grant Program also reaches high need communities. Nearly 80 percent of grant awards were given to schools in which 50 percent or more of the student population qualify for free or reduced price meals.