USDA opens FY 2022 Farm to School Grant Program application window

Author

Image of Rachel-Mackey_v2.png

Rachel Mackey

Legislative Director – Human Services & Education | Veterans & Military Services

Upcoming Events

Related News

Advocacy

County Countdown – March 19, 2024

Image of GettyImages-174790858.jpg

Key Takeaways

On October 22, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) opened its FY 2022 Farm to School Grant Program Request for Applications. The Farm to School Grant Program, administered by USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), seeks to bring locally or regionally produced foods into schools, including sourcing local agriculture for school meal programs, providing hands-on learning activities and consolidating food-related education into standards-based classroom curriculum. FNS expects to award approximately $12 million in Farm to School Grants during this cycle. Eligible entities, including local government agencies, must submit their application by January 10, 2022.

Since 2012, the Farm to School Grant program has provided approximately $5 million in competitive grants each year to increase local food procurement for school meal programs and to expand educational activities related to agriculture and food. Along with schools and other community stakeholders, county government agencies are among the entities eligible to apply for funds to expand and implement existing farm to school initiatives. County agencies can also apply for turnkey grants, which have simplified application requirements and support four predefined activities: Action planning, edible gardening, agricultural education and producer-focused training projects.

More information about the Farm to School Grant Program is available here, and a list of Fiscal Year 2021 grantees can be found here. Counties interested in applying for the program can find additional resources here.

NACo supports the Farm to School Grant Program and other initiatives that promote access to healthy food in schools while supporting local agriculture.

Related News

El Paso border station
Press Release

County Leaders Visit U.S. Border to Examine Best Practices for Local Governments

National Association of Counties Immigration Reform Task Force and other county leaders tour El Paso County, Texas.

(L-r): Lynn Carey and Maggie Purvis meet after becoming pen pal friends.
County News

County pen pal program helps developmentally disabled residents

Lynn Carey, a site manager of pulmonary services at Marion General Hospital, and Maggie Purvis, a high school freshman with autism, have been mailing each other letters back and forth for six months.

THE_County Countdown_working_image-4.png
Advocacy

County Countdown – March 19, 2024

Every other week, NACo’s County Countdown reviews top federal policy advocacy items with an eye towards counties and the intergovernmental partnership.