Farm to School Grants

FDACS is looking for Florida producers (i.e., farmers and ranchers) to participate in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) food purchasing grants, with over $35 million in grant funding available.

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The State of Florida will administer the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program funds through a competitive sub-award program allowing food banks, nonprofits and other community partners to apply for this grant. FDACS will work with community partners to connect farms and schools to bring fresh Florida produce into our rural schools.

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The purpose of this grant is to address the infrastructure needs of eligible School Food Authorities in the National School Lunch Program. Funds will be awarded through a competitive grant process for the purchase of equipment to improve food safety, serve healthier school meals with an emphasis on more fruits and vegetables, improve energy efficiency and expand participation.

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• Action for Healthy Kids: Nearly 250 schools will receive grant awards of $2,000 or $3,000 to support increased breakfast participation with new alternative breakfast programs, including breakfast in the classroom or grab and go.
• Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools: Schools are to use the grants (approximately $2,800 value) to implement salad bars as part of their daily meal programs.
• Project Produce — Chef Ann Foundation: $2,500 grants assist schools in expanding students’ palates and encouraging increased consumption of and exposure to fresh produce. Schools accomplish this through engagement in lunchroom education activities that encourage students to taste new vegetables and fruits offered in a dish, cooked or raw.
• USDA Farm to School Implementation and Planning Grants: The USDA Farm to School Grants were created to assist eligible entities in implementing Farm to School initiatives that improve access to local foods in eligible schools. Competitive grants are awarded for planning, implementation, support service and training to support efforts that improve access to local foods in schools.
• USDA Supporting Community Agriculture & Local Education Systems (SCALES) Grant: SCALES is a cooperative agreement funded by the United States Department of Agriculture, led by Boise State University. A key goal is to support innovation to increase the use of locally sourced foods and beverages in school meals.
• Partnerships for Local Agriculture & Nutrition Transformation in Schools (PLANTS): Seeking proposals for projects led by groups of local partners with systemic and equity-driven approaches to transforming school food supply chains. Projects should seek to build and strengthen relationships among community-based food system stakeholders and School Food Authorities (SFAs) as well as expand scratch cooking in schools in order to build more nourishing school meal programs.

• Captain Planet Foundation Grants: The Captain Planet Foundation offers grants to support learning on environmental themes in classrooms.
• Florida Agriculture in the Classroom Teacher Grant: The grant is open to general education and agri-science teachers in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade who want to use agricultural concepts to teach core subject areas.
• Florida Agriculture in the Classroom Volunteer Grant: Grant opportunity for agricultural nonprofit organizations based in Florida that are interested in educating Florida students about Florida agriculture.
• Samsung Solve for Tomorrow: Samsung awards grants to increase technology in schools to support STEM curriculum.
• Target K-12 Outdoor Classroom Field Trip Grants: Target stores award Field Trip Grants to K-12 schools nationwide. Each grant is valued at up to $700.
• Toshiba Grants for K-5: Toshiba offers grants to help teachers improve math and science concepts in the classroom.
• White-Reinhardt Mini-Grants: These grants from the American Farm Bureau Foundation support agriculture literacy in classrooms.

• Caplan Foundation for Early Childhood: The Caplan Foundation for Early Childhood is intended to be an incubator of promising research and development projects that may ultimately enhance the development, health, safety, education or quality of life of children from infancy through seven years of age across the country.
• Clif Bar Family Foundation Grants: Small grants are awarded for general organizational support or to fund specific projects that address programs that protect the earth, incorporate healthy foods, increase outdoor activity, build stronger communities and reduce environmental hazards.

• The American Heart Association’s Teaching Gardens: Funded by donations from individuals, corporations, foundations and other community-based organizations.
• The Bee Cause Project: Empowers students, teachers and community members to experience the wonder, ingenuity, beauty and power of the honey bee. Join the network of passionate educators, beekeepers and community leaders in building the buzz for integrating bees into STEAM education.
• Big Green:  Big Green is building a national school food culture that promotes youth wellness by connecting kids to real food through a network of Learning Gardens and food literacy programs.
• Bonnie Plants Third Grade Cabbage Program: Delivers millions of free cabbage plants each year to students in third grade classes throughout the country.
• Florida Farm Bureau Mini-Grants: The Florida Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Program offers mini-grants to certified Florida educators who are engaged in classroom instruction at the pre-kindergarten to 12th grade levels.
• The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation Orchard Grant: The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation is an award-winning international charity dedicated to planting fruitful trees and plants to alleviate world hunger.
• Green Thumb Challenge Grant: Green Education Foundation and Gardener’s Supply Company offer $250 grants to youth garden projects nationwide that submit chronicles of their garden projects.
• Youth Garden Grant: Provides funds to schools to establish new school and community gardens and assist in sustaining and renewing existing gardens.
• Carton Garden: Show us your students’ creativity by re-purposing milk and juice cartons from your school cafeteria to either build or enhance your school garden. Educators can engage students in a hands-on experience creating teachable moments on environmental stewardship, sustainable packaging and healthy living.
• Garden Grant Program – Whole Foods: Through our Garden Grant program, schools and non-profit organizations turn outdoor spaces into powerful hands-on learning gardens that connect kids with food, spark their curiosity and support classroom curriculum.
• School Garden Grant – Florida Wildflower Foundation: Grant awards include 12 to 15 Florida native wildflower plants with which to start a campus garden. Public and private pre-k to 12-grade school teachers may apply to receive a grant.
• American Heart Association Teaching Gardens Network: The Teaching Gardens Network is a one-stop-shop for everything schools will need to start or enhance a school garden. By joining the network, you gain access to Grant opportunities for funding your garden, free gardening materials and resources, digital cross-curricular, standards-based gardening and nutrition education curriculum, downloadable Teaching Gardens Network certificate, and recognition on their website.