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Farm to School Grant Program

ID: USDA-FNS-2026-F2S • Type: Posted
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Description

The program objective for the FY 2026 Farm to School Grant Program is to:

Improve access to local foods in eligible CNP sites through comprehensive farm to CNP programming that includes local sourcing and agricultural education efforts.

Proposed activities should clearly align with the objective and their associated activities and indicators. Careful consideration of proposed activities and indicators will prepare grantees for their progress reporting requirements if awarded.

Examples of project activities that could be supported by FY 2026 Farm to School grants and support the required objective include, but are not limited to:

  • Launching a pilot program that creates opportunities for eligible entities to create farm to CNP initiatives;
  • Incorporating more unprocessed and value-added, minimally processed, locally or regionally sourced meal components into the CNP meals;
  • Readying producers to participate in the CNP food marketplace by providing training on procurement regulations, Good Agricultural Practices, and other food safety-related topics;
  • Improving infrastructure to accommodate new local ingredients or local menu items in CNP meals;
  • Solving distribution bottlenecks that limit the feasibility of sourcing more locally or regionally produced items by working closely with intermediaries (e.g., distributors, food hubs);
  • Integrating agricultural education with career and technical preparation programs to encourage the next generation of agricultural producers;
  • Expanding experiential learning opportunities at CNP sites, such as creating school gardens, developing school-based farmers markets, providing support to agriculture/food clubs, and/or increasing exposure to local farms and on-farm activities;
  • Encouraging increased consumption of fruits and vegetables in CNP sites through promotional activities, taste tests, and other activities featuring local products;
  • Adopting agricultural education curricula that encourage the sharing of Indigenous traditional knowledge between generations, such as native plant varieties and planting practices; and
  • Developing and implementing integrated curriculum to reinforce food and nutrition-based learning throughout the school environment or on a local farm(s).
Background
The Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program, authorized in the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA), aims to increase the availability of local foods in Child Nutrition Program (CNP) operations. It connects students to the sources of their food through education, taste tests, school gardens, field trips, and local food sourcing for CNP meals. The objective for FY 2026 is to improve access to local foods in eligible CNP sites through comprehensive farm to CNP programming that includes local sourcing and agricultural education efforts. This program is expected to enhance child health and nutrition while supporting American agriculture by connecting farmers with USDA’s Child Nutrition Programs.

Grant Details
The FY 2026 Farm to School Grant program will fund projects for 24 months with funding requests ranging from a minimum of $100,000 to a maximum of $500,000. Proposed activities should align with the objective and include: launching pilot programs for farm to CNP initiatives; incorporating unprocessed and value-added locally sourced meal components; training producers on procurement regulations and food safety; improving infrastructure for local ingredients; solving distribution bottlenecks; integrating agricultural education with career programs; expanding experiential learning opportunities like school gardens; promoting increased consumption of fruits and vegetables; adopting curricula that share Indigenous knowledge; and developing integrated curriculum for food and nutrition learning.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants include State agencies, Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs), Child Nutrition Program operators, local agencies, agricultural producers, groups of agricultural producers, and non-profit organizations. All entities except State agencies and ITOs must apply as part of a partnership consisting of at least three confirmed partners, including one eligible CNP operator.

Period of Performance
The anticipated period of performance is from July 2026 to June 2028.

Grant Value
The total funding expected for this grant program is $18 million, with an anticipated number of awards being 50. The minimum award amount is $100,000 and the maximum award amount is $500,000.

Place of Performance
There are no geographic restrictions on the location of partner entities within the U.S., including U.S. territories that operate Federal CNPs.
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Overview

Agency
Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) [USDA]
Category of Funding
Agriculture
Food and Nutrition
Funding Instruments
Grant
Grant Program (CFDA)
10.575 - Farm to School Grant Program
Grant Category
Discretionary
Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement
True
Source
Grants.gov
On 9/10/25 Food and Nutrition Service posted grant opportunity USDA-FNS-2026-F2S for Farm to School Grant Program with funding of $18.0 million. The grant will be issued under grant program 10.575 Farm to School Grant Program. It is expected that 50 total grants will be made worth between $100,000 and $500,000.

Timing

Posted Date
Sept. 10, 2025, 12:00 a.m. EDT
Closing Date
Dec. 5, 2025, 12:00 a.m. EST Past Due
Last Updated
Sept. 10, 2025, 8:59 a.m. EDT
Version
3
Archive Date
Jan. 4, 2026

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants
Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
County governments
City or township governments
State governments
Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Independent school districts
Additional Info
Under this RFA, all entities marked with an asterisk (*) must be part of a Partnership to be eligible to apply:- State agencies- Indian Tribal organizations- Child Nutrition Program operators*- Local agencies*- Agricultural producers*- Groups of agricultural producers*- Non-profit organizations*--- All non-profit organizations must include their 501(c)(3) determination letter issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Organizations applying as any of the entities specified above, but which do not meet the eligibility definitions will be deemed ineligible and removed from competition without further consideration. Please see detailed eligibility information on pages 11-13 of the Request for Applications, found on the Related Documents tab of this announcement, for more detailed explanation of the eligibility categories.

Award Sizing

Ceiling
$500,000
Floor
$100,000
Estimated Program Funding
$18,000,000
Estimated Number of Grants
50

Contacts

Contact
Anna J Arrowsmith Grants Officer
Contact Email
anna.arrowsmith@usda.gov   Profile
Email Description
Anna Arrowsmith
Contact Phone
(703) 305-2998
Additional Information
Farm to School Grant Program Website
Additional Information Site
https://www.fns.usda.gov/grant/f2s/fy26

Documents

Posted documents for USDA-FNS-2026-F2S

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