The Farm to School Full Tray Grant is intended for school districts that have some Farm to School experience and want to grow their Farm to School programming and expand local procurement from Minnesota producers.
Donor Name: Minnesota Department of Agriculture
State: Minnesota
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 11/17/2022
Size of the Grant: $2,500 – $100,000
Grant Duration: 1 year
Details:
The amount of funding each school district is eligible for is based on the number of reimbursable lunches and breakfasts served in October 2021, using this formula: meals served x 20 cents x 10 months.
Funding Information
Through their Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and with the support of the Cargill Foundation, they anticipate awarding nearly $3.5 million to reimburse school districts for purchasing Minnesota grown and raised foods used in school meal programs.
- Schools may apply for $2,500 – $100,000.
- There is no cash match requirement.
- They ask that you only request the amount of funding you think you can spend within the grant period (approximately January 2023 – January 2024).
Eligibility Criteria
Public or private schools or school districts that participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and serve food to K-12 students are eligible to apply. They encourage school districts serving sovereign tribal nations to apply.
Eligible Projects
Projects must enhance and expand existing procurement and consumption of Minnesota grown and raised foods. This may include but is not limited to:
- Trialing new Minnesota grown products on the menu through taste tests
- Diversifying the products sourced from a Minnesota farm
- Increasing the number of times a Minnesota item or meal repeats on the menu
- Adding Minnesota Thursday as monthly feature to the menu
- Expanding the number of featured items or meals during Farm to School Month
- Introducing local sourcing into the School Breakfast Program (SBP).
For more information, visit MNDA.
