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Volume 9, Issue 12, July 2023
Special Edition – Congratulations to the FY 2023 Farm to School Grantees!
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is excited to announce it is awarding $10.7 million in Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grants to fund 103 projects across the country. These investments will help 1.2 million children from nearly 3,000 schools in 40 States and the territory of Guam eat tasty, nutritious local foods, while supporting farmers and producers in their communities. “Farm to school is a huge win-win for children, schools, farmers, producers, and communities,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “When schools have access to fresh, local food options with homegrown flavor, they can serve tasty menu items that kids are excited to eat, while supporting the local economy.”
The Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Farm to School Grant awardees and planned projects represent USDA’s commitment to reaching historically underserved and marginalized communities:
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Nearly 59% of students served by these projects are eligible for free and reduced-priced school meals.
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More than 36% of projects serve rural areas or economically disadvantaged areas.
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Nearly 26% of organizations receiving awards are led by Black, Indigenous, or People of Color, with projects serving those same communities.
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Three projects are being led by and serving Native American communities, including one project that will reach up to 12 different Native led organizations.
Farm to School Grant projects create opportunities for children to learn about nutrition and agriculture through hands-on experiences, such as planting, watering, and harvesting fruits, vegetables and herbs. Many funded grant projects also provide a pathway for more children to achieve nutrition security, which is the consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable foods essential to optimal health and well-being.
“When we support children in establishing good eating habits in their early years, we’re setting them up to reach their full potential,” said Dr. Caree Jackson Cotwright, FNS Director of Nutrition Security and Health Equity. “Transforming the food systems that serve our children can reverse the generational trends of unjust food systems that have underserved communities. These investments are more important now than ever.”
This year USDA is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Farm to School Grant Program! Since the program’s inception in 2013, the department has awarded nearly $85 million in Farm to School Grants, funding more than 1,100 projects across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and Puerto Rico. These projects have reached over 28 million students in nearly 65,000 schools. For more information on how your community can get involved in Farm to School activities, please visit the Farm to School Program website.
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Please see the complete press release and list of grantees here. Examples of projects funded in FY 2023 include:
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The Lummi Nation will utilize grant funding to support the installation of gardens and the planning process for sustained gardens in the K-12 tribal, high poverty, and culturally diverse Lummi Nation school district. Students and families in the district will benefit from the project, which will involve many community partners, including Common Threads Farm which will support every aspect of implementation to help increase access to produce in the district’s cafeterias and classrooms.
- The City of Orlando’s Families, Parks and Recreation Department provides meals to children attending after-school and summer programs at its neighborhood and recreation centers. The City of Orlando will partner with Edible Education Experience to provide middle and high school age youth who reside in under-resourced neighborhoods with an immersive Seed-to-Table experience that fosters healthy eating and cooking confidence and teaches the importance of community and school farming. This partnership seeks to improve the health of Orlando’s youngest residents and educate children and their families about integrating locally grown food into healthy meals.
- The Ayer Shirley Regional School District will expand their school gardening program that was established at Page Hilltop Elementary School in 2015. Their farm to school program was launched by two teachers and two parents with an interest in incorporating gardening into the school curriculum and creating more experiential learning opportunities for students. This expansion aims to strengthen the school’s current gardening initiatives and bring similar opportunities to all 1,636 students and staff across the district.
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2024 Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program Announcement Coming This Fall!
USDA FNS plans to release the Request for Applications for the Fiscal Year 2024 Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program this coming fall. The annual grant opportunity will help reach more communities seeking to incorporate local products into child nutrition program meals, integrate and expand agricultural education in the classroom, and cultivate and expand farm to school efforts.
The Dirt is a monthly publication of the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program, providing news and resources for all readers who want to know what is new and exciting in farm to school.
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If you have any questions, you can contact us at
SM.FN.FarmToSchool@usda.gov
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USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).
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