USDA Announces Availability of $1.13 Billion for Local Food Programs
On December 10, USDA announced $1.13 billion in funding for the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) and Local Food for Schools (LFS) cooperative agreement programs, building on the Department’s previous investments in local and regional food systems. This funding allows states, territories, and federally recognized Tribes to procure locally produced foods for distribution within their communities. For the first time, USDA will allocate up to $188.6 million for states and territories to purchase local unprocessed and minimally processed domestic foods for childcare centers participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program! Producers wishing to participate in either program should contact their respective state, territory, or tribal purchasing authorities.
USDA Highlights Investment of $124 Million in Business Builder Grants
On December 12, the USDA announced it had invested $124 million in Business Builder Award Program grants to support small and mid-sized farm and food businesses by funding projects that increase business viability, develop regional market opportunities, and expand value chain capacity. These grants are offered through USDA’s Regional Food Business Centers, which provide localized assistance to access local and regional supply chains, including linking producers to wholesalers and distributors.
National Farm to School Network (NFSN) Equity Lab Update
The National Farm to School Network (NFSN) is in its third year of implementing the Racial Equity Learning Lab (Lab). This past fall, NFSN convened the second cohort to contribute and participate in the Lab roadmap, which aims to advance equity in the farm to school movement. Hands-on activities, action planning, and strengthening relationships were the key components of this in-person meeting, all while immersed in the rich history of New Orleans. The cohort explored equitable financial systems by unpacking the various meanings of wealth and how it relates to program development. The cohort also discussed where and how equity shows up in farm to school policy and advocacy efforts. They heard from local farm to school practitioners about their work to connect with area urban growers and support local food purchasing. The convening concluded with a site visit to Langston Hughes Academy, where the cohort toured the DreamKeeper Garden where students participate in gardening, cooking classes, and animal husbandry.
|
USDA Farm to School Grant Program
The Request for Applications for the FY 2025 Farm to School Grant Program remains open through January 10, 2025. The Farm to School Team will host one final office hour session for potential applicants on Tuesday, January 7, at 2 pm ET. You do not need to attend the whole hour; you can come and go at any time. USDA will dedicate the entire time to answering questions from potential applicants.
National Center for Appropriate Technology Wants to Know More About Producer-Buyer Networking
The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) is working hard on their Farm to School Technical Assistance Cooperative Agreement with USDA. NCAT is collaborating with producer organizations to expand the Bringing the Farm to School producer training with a module dedicated to producer buying and networking. As part of this project, NCAT is developing a best practice manual and recommended resources for partners developing impactful connector events for school buyers and local food producers. NCAT is now looking forward to hearing from you!
If you have time, please take a moment to complete NCAT’s 5- to 10-minute Producer School Food Buyer Event Survey no later than January 24, 2025, regarding your own experiences with producer-buyer networking events!
FNS Requests Public Comments on Pilot Projects for Tribes to Administer Child Nutrition Programs
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 authorized the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to conduct pilot projects to allow Tribes to administer Child Nutrition Programs, assuming the roles and responsibilities typically held by State agencies. To help inform the application process, and eligibility and selection criteria, for Tribal grantees to operate a Child Nutrition Tribal Pilot Project, FNS published Request for Information: Child Nutrition Programs Tribal Pilot Projects on December 23, 2024, at: Federal Register: Request for Information: Child Nutrition Programs Tribal Pilot Projects.
FNS encourages interested persons to submit comments on this request for information on or before March 24, 2025. Comments may be submitted by either of the following methods:
For more information on submitting comments, please see Tips for Submitting Effective Comments here: Tips-For-Submitting-Effective-Comments.pdf. (Please note this is a Federal Register resource and not an FNS resource.)
FNS Requests Public Comments on Grain-Based Desserts and High-Protein Yogurt Crediting in Child Nutrition Programs
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) requests comments from the public to help inform future policymaking, guidance, and technical assistance related to grain-based desserts and crediting high-protein yogurt (which may include Greek and Greek-style yogurt) in the Child Nutrition Programs. FNS published Request for Information: Grain-Based Desserts and High-Protein Yogurt Crediting in Child Nutrition Programs on December 26, 2024.
FNS encourages interested persons to submit comments on this request for information on or before March 26, 2025. The public may submit comments by any of the following methods:
- Online via the Federal eRulemaking Portal (preferred method): Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
- Mail: Send comments to School Meals Policy Division, USDA Food and Nutrition Service, 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 22314.
 |
|
Recipes and Traditions for the Holiday Season
December is full of celebrations for people from many cultures. These celebrations often center around traditional foods, served at meals shared with families and friends. Check out SNAP-Ed Connection’s Healthy, Thrifty Holiday Menus for recipes and holiday menus.
|
Team Nutrition Training Series: The Road to Successful Menu Planning for School Meals Training Series
USDA Food and Nutrition Service’s Team Nutrition recently released a new addition to the training series, The Road to Successful Menu Planning for School Meals Training Series, to help schools plan and implement school nutrition standards. The new 15-minute training covers identifying top sources of added sugars in school menus! This training series includes quarterly 1-hour live (and recorded) webinars co-hosted with the Institute of Child Nutrition and short, on-demand training. Both are designed to provide school nutrition professionals with quick tips, tools, and knowledge to meet the nutrition standards for added sugars and sodium through School Year 2027-2028.
|
Boots to Business Reboot for Veteran Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Webinar
The Veterans Business Outreach Center of New England, in partnership with the USDA and the Small Business Administration invites veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses to Boots to the Business Reboot for Veteran Beginning Farmers and Ranchers webinar. This full-day workshop will aid those interested in exploring agriculture-based business ownership by leading participants through the key steps for evaluating business concepts and providing the foundational knowledge required to develop a business plan. The webinar will be held on January 13, from 9 am - 5:30 pm ET.
|
Nemours Children’s Health and CDC Healthy Kids, Healthy Future Springboard Opportunities-Webinar
Join Nemours Children Health and U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity to discuss time-limited opportunities for training and technical assistance support for organizations to enhance their current early care and education (ECE) activities. This webinar will be held on January 8 at 2:30 pm ET. It will outline a menu of five unique options called “Springboard Opportunities.” These opportunities include capacity building resources, technical assistance, and/or services to advance a state’s action plan to improve nutrition and physical activity in state ECE systems and settings.
SGSO Network’s Educating for a Changing Planet: Drought Resistant and Climate Resilient Strategies for our Future Webinar
The School Garden Support Organization (SGSO) Network is holding a webinar on teaching water conservation through school gardens. This webinar, to be held on January 22 at 2 pm ET, will introduce participants to several water-saving strategies that can be taught and implemented with students in school gardens, including active and passive rain harvesting, drought-tolerant crop selection, mulching and soil-building, subsurface irrigation with ollas and watering stakes, intentional use of shade, and more!
Farm to School Podcasts Air from Coast to Coast
The Farm to School Podcast was launched in 2023 with support from Farm to School State Formula Grant funds and features stories of how youth thrive and farmers prosper when they grow, cook, and eat delicious, nutritious local foods in schools. Hosted by Rick Sherman, Farm to Child Nutrition Program Manager at the Oregon Department of Education, and Michelle Markesteyn, Farm to School Specialist at Oregon State University Extension, this podcast explores what it means to bring local food into the cafeteria and teach kids about where their food comes from. The podcast airs two monthly episodes and is available on various platforms, like Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts. The latest episode features Sam Koentopp from Big Green. Listen to learn about what goes into the infrastructure of building a garden and how to start the process. Big Green works with partner organizations to install raised beds in schools and aims to start one million gardens with their home gardening kits! Listen to the episode here.
|
Farm to School Northeast podcast was recently launched in October 2024 from the Northeast Farm to School Collaborative. This new podcast explores creative ways local food gets into school cafeterias and how food system education is playing out in classrooms and school gardens across the Northeast. Two episodes are now available, and listeners can look forward to new ones being released monthly. Listen to all episodes here.
|
NFSN Report: $100 Million for Farm to School: The Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant's National Reach Since 2013
The National Farm to School Network’s (NFSN) new report and interactive dashboard highlight the impact of the USDA Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program, celebrating over a decade of implementation. Since 2013, the program has awarded $100 million for 1,275 projects. This analysis takes a broad view of the awards over time and describes awards by grantee type, project type, amount, and location. This resource can be helpful for those writing grant applications to find relevant examples of funded projects, as well as advocates and researchers interested in learning more about funding trends.
Local and Regional Foods Resources and Research Webinar Series
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has launched the Local and Regional Foods Resources & Research webinar series, a monthly series highlighting local and regional food research projects, resources, partnerships, and programs. The webinars will be held on the third Thursday of each month from 1 to 2 pm ET. The next webinar will be on January 16, 2025, The Promise of Urban Agriculture: Courses for Grower and Planners.
NSAC’s Analysis of 2022 Agriculture Census
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) completed an analysis of the 2022 Agriculture Census, sharing that there has been significant growth in the number of farms reporting regional and local sales and rapid growth in the value of direct sales to consumers and local and regional markets. The findings highlight the economic impact of programs such as the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP) and how programs such as the Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP), and Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) have strengthened direct-to-consumer marketing opportunities and regional distribution networks, leading to growing revenue from direct, local, and regional sales. The 2022 Agricultural Census highlights the remarkable growth and potential of local and regional food systems, reflecting the positive impact of USDA programs.
Vermont FEED’s 2025-2026 Farm to School Institute Adaptation Program
The Farm to School Institute Adaptation Program, created by Vermont FEED, a partnership of Shelburne Farms Institute for Sustainable Schools and NOFA-VT, is a proven professional learning model for growing robust and sustainable farm to school programs. Through action planning, coaching, peer networking, and skill building, participants will create sustainable farm to school programs that connect the dots between classrooms, cafeterias, and communities. Facilitated by Shelburne Farms, in collaboration with USDA Food and Nutrition Service, the Farm to School Institute Adaptation Program is an opportunity for leaders across the country to adapt the model to your region and grow farm to school in your state.
|
2025 Tribal Agriculture Fellowship
Are you a Native American student passionate about agriculture, food systems, or environmental stewardship? If so, the Tribal Agriculture Fellowship (TAF) is now accepting applications for its 2025 cohort! TAF is designed to aid Native students in achieving their educational goals leading to careers in agriculture. The fellowship program, established by the Native American Agriculture Fund and the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, provides a generous benefits package that can include up to four years of fellowship status, with funding to earn agricultural degrees or technical certifications.
Tribal Colleges and Universities Head Start Partnership Program Grants
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families offers grants for tribal colleges and universities to establish or enhance partnerships with Head Start programs to increase the number of qualified education staff working in American Indian Alaska Native Head Start and Early Head Start programs.
2025 SGSO Leadership Institute
Applications are now open for the 2025 School Garden Support Organization (SGSO) Leadership Institute in Santa Cruz, CA. Taking place the week of June 22-27, The Institute provides a week-long opportunity for SGSO leaders to collaborate, learn from each other, and create resources that will be shared with a national audience.
2025 Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program - Funding for USDA People’s Garden Initiative
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is accepting applications for the 2025 Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program. Approximately $1 million in funding is available from the People’s Garden Initiative through the USDA Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production to fund projects supporting community-based gardens that promote sustainable agriculture practices that benefit people and wildlife. Per the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, 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. Learn more here.
|
Rural Development’s Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program
USDA’s Rural Development Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program funds many facility types, including local food systems such as community gardens, food pantries, community kitchens, food banks, food hubs, or greenhouses. According to the latest U.S. Census data, the program is limited to areas with no more than 20,000 residents. This grant program is open year-round.
HFFI Food Access and Retail Expansion Fund
The Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) Food Access and Retail Expansion (FARE) Fund is a new program under the expanded America’s Healthy Food Financing Initiative. In the predevelopment and implementation stages, competitive grants and technical assistance will be available for eligible food retail and food retail supply chain projects. In the 2024-2025 funding cycle, at least $9,000,000 is available for implementation grants, at least $1,500,000 for technical assistance, and at least $16,000,000 for loans. Grant funds will be distributed through three rounds of funding. Technical assistance and loans will be distributed on a rolling basis.
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.
Not yet subscribed to The Dirt?
If you have any questions, you can contact us at
SM.FN.FarmToSchool@usda.gov
|
