The Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food & Markets is now accepting applications for its Farm to School and Early Childhood Vision Grant.
Donor Name: Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food & Markets
State: Vermont
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/10/2025
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
The purpose of this grant is to expand farm to school and early childhood programming in Vermont by amplifying innovative work in individual school communities, strengthening farm to school support services, and reaching underserved school and early childhood communities. Strong proposals will improve child nutrition, enhance educational experiences, and connect youth with the land, local farms, and their local community.
Funding Priorities
Applicants will need to explain how their project aligns with at least one of the following funding priorities.
- Enriching the educational experiences of Vermont youth
- Increasing school or early childhood procurement of local food
- Improving child nutrition, health, and wellness
- Increasing student participation in federal child nutrition programs (e.g. CACFP, NSLP, SBP)
- Developing and strengthening connections between schools/early childhood programs and their local communities.
Funding Information
The minimum award is $10,000 and the maximum award is $60,000.
Grant Period
June 2025 – June 30, 2027.
Eligible Projects
Eligible projects will directly benefit Vermont youth. Projects can launch new initiatives or expand existing initiatives.
Eligible projects include:
- Amplifying innovative approaches to farm to school and early childhood: Developing or expanding innovative farm to school initiatives focused on a particular school, early childhood program, or community. Strong proposals in this category will involve plans for information sharing, outreach, or building partnerships with other communities so that projects might be replicated or built upon in other communities
- Strengthening farm to school and early childhood support systems: Developing or expanding larger scale (e.g. statewide, county-level, or district-level) efforts that will help multiple schools or early childhood programs develop or expand farm to school programs
- Reaching underserved communities: Developing or expanding farm to school efforts in communities that experience food security challenges or those that have not received a Farm to School and Early Childhood Grant in the past 4 years. Areas experiencing food security challenges can be identified using the 2024 Vermont CACFP Mapping Tool (which identifies food deserts, areas with a low child opportunity index, and areas where a significant amount of adults are living below the federal poverty level) and free and reduced-price meal rates.
Eligibility Criteria
- Vermont schools, school districts, licensed and/or registered childcare providers and licensed afterschool programs are eligible to apply for this grant
- Both individual educational institutions, as well as groups or networks, are eligible to apply
- Non-profits or community organizations that conduct programming in Vermont are also eligible, but must demonstrate partnership in their application with a school, childcare provider, afterschool program, or another organization in the Vermont Farm to School and Early Childhood Network.
For more information, visit VAAFM.
