The 2024 Farm to School Grant Program is Now Open
Every year, the USDA awards grants to support the creation, development, and execution of farm to school programs. The USDA Farm to School Program has officially released the Request for Applications (RFA) for the fiscal year (FY) 2024 Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program. The deadline for submitting the RFA is January 24th, 2024.
This competitive grant program will provide up to $12 million in grants to eligible entities this fiscal year. The goal of these grants is to assist in implementing farm to school programming that increases local nutrient-dense food access in eligible schools, promotes children's health through hands-on agricultural learning opportunities, inspires youth to pursue careers in agriculture, and helps students establish healthy and positive relationships with food.
Several entities are eligible to apply for funding via this grant opportunity, including schools and other institutions that operate the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Summer Food Service Program, State agencies, local agencies, ITOs, small to medium-sized agricultural producers or groups of small to medium-sized agricultural producers, and nonprofit organizations.
The RFA comprises five tracks, including Implementation, State Agency, and three Turnkey grants, which cater to various projects and implementation stages.
