 Congratulations to the newest cohort of Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program grantees! The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is thrilled to announce it is awarding a record-breaking $14.3 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grants. This year’s 154 grantees are planning some amazing projects across the country to benefit 1.9 million children in 43 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
All Farm to School Grant Program projects connect children with local food and agriculture while growing local food systems, but projects can take so many approaches. Projects can help schools learn how to buy local, while preparing their kitchens to store, cook, and serve fresh produce. They can also help food businesses like farmers and distributors grow the foods that fit school menus and market and distribute them in a way that works for school kitchens. All these projects ensure that children enjoy tasty meals made with nutritious local foods.
Projects can also create opportunities for children to have learning adventures in edible gardens, like planting, watering, and harvesting fruits and vegetables, and then tasting the produce they’ve grown. Some schools develop curricula for school gardens, and others integrate agricultural education throughout the school’s curricula, adding it to math, science, and other classes. Many projects include trips to the farm so children can experience farm life firsthand or farmer visits to the classroom to share their knowledge.
The impact of farm to school grants can continue long after the grant period has ended. Through funding to state and local governments and for activities like action planning, forming partnerships, and evaluation, the grants lay the groundwork for sustainable farm to school programs that have impact for years to come.
We are also excited that the FY 2024 Farm to School Grant awardees and planned projects represent USDA’s commitment to creating equity in our programs. The grants prioritize projects in historically underserved and marginalized communities. This year:
- 120 awardees are serving at least 40% of students who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals;
- 61 awardees are led by and serving Black, Indigenous, or other communities of color;
- 54 awardees are leading projects located in and targeting rural areas;
- 33 awardees are led by and serving Black/African American communities;
- 5 awardees are from an entity led and/or staffed by and serving American Indians and Alaska Native communities; and,
- 3 awardees are led by Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs).
Get the Full Scoop: For more details and the complete list of grantees, check out the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program Awards.
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 Examples of projects funded in FY 2024 include:
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ReTreeUS will partner with 20 schools throughout New England to implement nationally replicable school orchard programs that will maximize fruit harvests, student learning opportunities, and program sustainability. ReTreeUS will develop a curated package of resources and lessons that will maximize agricultural education opportunities in school orchards.
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Kids' Food Basket will improve elementary-aged children’s access and exposure to local foods through their 10-acre farm in Ottawa County, Michigan, with its on-site greenhouse and learning barn! Kids’ Food Basket will partner with local schools and organizations to host groups of students on their farm, engaging them in a farm curriculum, installing raised bed gardens, conducting taste tests, and offering cooking lessons, all to improve access to agriculture education and introduce students to locally sourced foods.
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The Growing Together Project will create a full-circle farm to school experience for urban youth in the under-resourced community of Rancho Cordova, located in the Sacramento Valley region of California. K-12 students in eight schools will enjoy access to fresh local produce in school cafeterias for the first time ever, dig into regular school garden learning, and learn about the power of healthy eating during veggie celebration events. Teen and college internships will be expanded to create cross-age farm to school interactions, with older students educating their younger peers and supporting the school district’s unique career pathway in food and agriculture.
2025 Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program Announcement
Coming This Fall!
USDA FNS plans to release the Request for Applications for the FY 2025 Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program this 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.
Interested in applying? Interested applicants can start now by creating or updating their SAM.gov registration and registering in grants.gov.
Receive the latest information and updates from the Farm to School Program by subscribing to The Dirt and visiting the Farm to School Program website.
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