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Volume 10, Issue 9, April 2024
April is National Garden Month!
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April is National Garden Month! The USDA Patrick Leahy Farm to School Team (USDA Farm to School Team) is celebrating by sharing a few ways school gardens foster healthy student outcomes, a success story, and resources to support garden supplies, equipment, and staff!
Hands-on Learning is Beneficial!
Research reveals the many benefits of school gardens. From increased fruit and vegetable consumption and enhanced interpersonal and cooperative skills to decreased stress and improved academic performance, hands-on learning through school gardens helps grow healthy, happy children. It is easy to understand why school gardens are taking off — according to the 2019 Farm to School Census, 12,334 schools across the U.S., the U.S. territories, and D.C. grow edible gardens—and a core component of farm to school!
A Success Story: Leah’s Pantry
There are many innovative ways to use a school garden to reach students’ education and wellness goals. Leah’s Pantry, a Fiscal Year 2020 Farm to School Grantee, in San Diego developed the Barrio Botany program to ensure that students living in Barrio Logan, a community designated as a Promise Zone, could participate in San Diego Unified School District’s Garden to Café program. The program builds gardens and requires a food safety protocol for produce grown and harvested by students and served in the school’s salad bar. Leah’s Pantry developed and implemented education and training sessions in English and Spanish and both online and live modalities to meet the needs of staff, volunteers, parents, and students in the Promise Zone. Students enjoyed hands-on school garden-based STEM, nutrition, and culinary activities, and parents benefited from presentations to encourage family support for student’s new healthful meal choices. Leah’s Pantry Project Coordinator found that having paid program staff, including project and garden coordinators, was essential to the program’s success.
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Is your school looking for funding to build or scale your school garden program? Funders are ready to support you! USDA’s Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program (Farm to School Grant) can help with staffing costs, like garden coordinators, in addition to buying seeds, gardening tools, and other garden supplies and equipment. In fact, the Farm to School Grant Program offers a specific Turnkey-Action Planning grant track for starting or improving edible gardening programs at Child Nutrition Program (CNP) meal sites, like schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program, child care providers that participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sites. To read success stories from programs the Farm to School Grant has seeded and grown, visit the Growing Your Farm to School Program website!
In addition, USDA allows Child Nutrition Program operators to use their nonprofit food service funds to pay for staff time, activities, equipment, or supplies related to a school garden when that funding helps support the operation and improvement of the meal program. School Food Authorities can learn more here and here, while CACFP operators can learn more here.
Other grantmakers can help, too. KidsGardening provides a variety of grants with co-funders and provides grant application support. Green Our Planet and The Bee Cause fund specific activities nationwide, like hydroponics, aquaponics, and honey production. There are so many more funding sources! Look within your local community and at the state, regional, and national levels for grants and other funding sources that might meet your needs.
USDA wants to see school gardens flourish in farm to school programs. The USDA Farm to School team offers a variety of resources to help our grantees and stakeholders wherever they are in their gardening journey! Check out the USDA resources below for further information:
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Spring is here! Gardening offers numerous physical and mental health benefits for individuals. Spending time in nature can lower stress levels and boost mood. The simple act of planting a garden can have a big impact on communities, too! During National Garden Month, USDA encourages you to take the opportunity to get outside and start gardening. There are many ways to get involved and enjoy the numerous benefits of gardening, no matter if you’re starting or have established your green thumb over the years.
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USDA’s People’s Garden Initiative
Do you have a community farm or garden that you’d like to designate a People’s Garden? Gardens of different sizes and types, including school gardens, community gardens, urban farms, and small-scale agriculture projects in rural and urban areas, can be recognized as a “People’s Garden.”
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Join the People’s Garden community by registering a garden here.
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Grow the garden using sustainable practices that benefit people and wildlife.
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Teach about gardening and resilient, local food systems.
After you register, your garden or farm location will be posted to this map. You will receive a “People’s Garden” sign to display, as well as an invitation to our monthly People’s Garden Webinars. In addition, you will be provided access to the Extension Foundation Connect platform, a place to share information across the network of registered gardens.
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USDA Celebrates Progress on Food and Nutrition Security Initiatives
On March 17, USDA celebrated the second anniversary of the launch of its initiative to advance food and nutrition security across government and with partners in non-government organizations and people working in communities across America. This initiative aims to ensure consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, affordable foods essential to optimal health and well-being. USDA Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack shared recorded remarks and highlighted key accomplishments from the last two years. Some of top accomplishments include investing $100 million in the Healthy Meals Incentive for Schools initiative, making USDA’s MyPlate a household name, and standing up a new Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer Program for Children. Read about all accomplishments here! Stay tuned for more updates as USDA and partners continue to make progress toward food and nutrition security for all communities.
HMI Recognition Awards for School Food Authorities
Through the Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative cooperative agreement with the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Action for Healthy Kids is offering recognition awards to celebrate school food authorities that have made improvements to the nutritional quality of their school meals by making them consistent with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The awards also recognize school food authorities who engage students and families in nutrition education and in the planning and preparing of nutritious school meals. The recognition awards spotlight innovative practices, student and community engagement activities, and strategies schools use for success. Action for Healthy Kids has streamlined the application process to make it easier for school nutrition professionals to apply and be recognized!
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USDA Seeks Peer Reviewers for Grant Applications
The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) seeks subject matter experts to serve as peer reviewers to evaluate grant applications for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 grant cycle. AMS needs peer reviewers for the following programs:
Reviewers should have knowledge or experience in agricultural systems, including but not limited to marketing, processing, distribution, or local and regional food systems. Producers and those with first-hand experience in food and farm businesses are encouraged to participate. Reviewers should be able to analyze grant applications against specific criteria and explain their evaluation. The review is conducted remotely. Selected reviewers should expect to commit approximately 60 hours to the required training, review, and discussion process over a six-week period. Reviews will take place during the summer of 2024.
Upon successful completion of all review responsibilities, non-federal reviewers will receive $200 for each assigned application evaluation. Non-federal panel chairs will receive an additional, one-time, flat payment for their role.
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Garden to Cafeteria Toolkit
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School Garden Support Organization Network Newsletter
The School Garden Support Organization Network (SGSO) is a peer learning network that provides resources to sustain and elevate equitable garden-based education. Every other month, SGSO shares a newsletter that highlights resources from the SGSO and its partners, all within a theme centered on impactful school garden programming. SGSO also sends additional periodic emails with relevant updates on webinars, upcoming events, and timely opportunities within the school garden community.
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KidsGardening Garden Resources
KidsGardening offers engaging lessons on a wide range of subjects for students of all ages created by experienced garden educators. Educators can do many gardening activities in a classroom or school green space if a dedicated garden space is unavailable. KidsGardening also has a list of garden-related grants with details on purpose, apply by date, and award allocations that can be found here. Whether you are new to gardening or you are an experienced green thumb, there are resources that can support your goals and visions.
School Garden Summer Programming Webinar
In many climates, school gardens thrive in the summer, but only a limited number of students and personnel enjoy them. Join School Garden Support Organization Network and hear from West Broad Street YMCA in Savannah, Georgia, and Del Norte and Tribal Lands Community Food Council in Del Norte County, California, on how they implement summer programming to take advantage of the summer bounty as well as provide programming for students. Join this webinar to learn about options for guided virtual farm field trips, as well as resources, tips, and considerations for school garden programs interested in hosting virtual farm field trips. The webinar will take place on April 30 at 3:00 pm ET.
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United States Botanic Garden School Garden Guide
The U.S. Botanic Garden, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, and City Blossoms have created a school garden guide to assist with establishing new school gardens, maintaining existing school gardens, and using school gardens for educational purposes. This guide is intended for a broad audience including teachers, school administrators, community-based organization staff, community members, and parents.
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School Food Innovator Series: Partner with Local Farmers
Draft National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics
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USDA’s Risk Management Agency Offers New Resource for Specialist and Small-Scale Farmers
Finding the right insurance for your farm can feel overwhelming, especially for specialty crop and small-scale farmers and ranchers. That’s why the USDA Risk Management Agency created a new searchable directory of crop insurance agents who have experience selling Whole-Farm Revenue Protection and Micro Farm policies. With 1,135 crop insurance agents listed, providing coverage in all 50 states, finding the “right risk management fit” just got easier!
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Empowering Native Entrepreneurs Through Access to Capital
The Council of Development Finance Agencies is implementing a Tribal Finance Webinar Series to discuss the development of finance programs that tribal communities can use to preserve small businesses, promote community health, restore local economies, and protect the environment. The next webinar, "Empowering Native Entrepreneurs Through Access to Capital", will be held on April 23 at 2pm ET. You will hear from practitioners who will present strategies and highlight finance programs that are helping to increase access to capital and aiding the creation of successful small businesses.
ASPHN’s Farm to Early Care and Education Convening
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USDA Business Builder Grants
The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service announced the availability of $600,000 in Business Builder Grants to provide financial assistance for small and mid-sized farm and food businesses with projects focused on regional needs. The funding, provided through USDA’s North Central Regional Food Business Center, is available to fund projects in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota, and will provide access to capital needed to launch and expand businesses while working to build income streams or identify needed investors.
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USDA School Food System Transformation Challenge Sub-Grants
Through USDA School Food System Transformation Challenge Sub-Grants, the Illinois Public Health Institute and the Lake Michigan School Food System Innovation Hub's first round of Requests for Applications are now open. Two award types will be available to eligible applicants in Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Indiana. Spark Awards will fund short-term projects between $10,000 and $75,000. Innovation Collaborative Awards will support projects that promote systems-level change in the school food system and marketplace up to $250,000. They are for collaborations of local food system advocates who want to ensure that school meals better reflect the Lake Michigan region’s harvests and cultural diversity.
Native American Agriculture Fund: Request for Applications
The Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) is accepting 2024 Request for Applications from eligible non-profit, educational, and Tribal organizations. NAAF provides grants that support the success of Native farmers and ranchers. Key focus areas include business assistance, agricultural education, technical support, and advocacy services; NAAF encourages applicants to combine focus areas into one project, such as combining business assistance with technical support or agricultural education with business assistance. Applicants may request funds for projects that are either 12 or 24 months in long and for project support, general organizational support, scholarships, re-grants, lending programs, or capital expenditures. All eligible entities are encouraged to apply.
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Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will issue noncompetitive grants to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops and support specialty crop growers through marketing, education, and research. Only state departments of agriculture or equivalent in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands may apply. Specialty crops include fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops, including floriculture. AMS encourages applications that serve smaller farms and ranches, new and beginning farmers and ranchers, underserved producers, veteran producers, and/or underserved communities.
The Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program
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Agriculture Market Program
The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service(AMS) announced the availability of approximately $26 million for the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP) to help local and regional food entities develop, coordinate, and expand producer-to-consumer marketing, local and regional food markets, and local food enterprises. A LAMP Stakeholder Toolkit is available to help organizations amplify funding available through the Fiscal Year 2024 LAMP. AMS invites applications by May 14, 2024 under three programs:
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Farmers Market Promotion Program supports producer-to-consumer markets such as farmers markets, roadside stands, agritourism activities, community-supported agriculture programs, and online sales.
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Local Food Promotion Program supports local and regional food business enterprises that engage as intermediaries in indirect producer-to-consumer marketing.
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Regional Food Systems Partnerships supports public-private partnerships that build and strengthen the viability and resilience of local or regional food economies.
USDA Micro-Grants for Food Security Program
The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Micro-Grants for Food Security Program assists agricultural agencies or departments in eligible states and territories to increase the quantity and quality of locally grown food in food insecure communities that import a significant quantity of food through small-scale gardening, herding, and livestock operations. The agricultural agencies or departments competitively distribute the funds through subawards to eligible entities. For more details, read the Fiscal Year 2024 Request for Applications here, and take a look at previously awarded grants here.
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KidsGardening Lots of Compassion Grant
KidsGardening and Mrs. Meyers Clean Day designed the Lots of Compassion Grant program to support local leaders looking to transform vacant lots into gardens to help grow compassion in their community. In 2024, 10 grantees will receive $20,000 each to transform a vacant lot into a garden, a total of $200,000 will be awarded annually.
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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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