Record-Breaking Farm to School Grants Support Kids, Local Economies, and the Environment

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded $9 million in Farm to School grants in 2019, helping schools around the country implement and expand programs to bring healthy, local foods to their students. 

Announced in July, the 2019 award funds a record-breaking 126 projects across 42 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. With 52 more grants than in years past, Farm to School grants will reach an estimated 3.2 million students in 5,400 schools this year. The grants range from $20,000 to $100,000, and were awarded to schools, school districts, Indian tribal organizations, agricultural producers and groups, state and local agencies, and non-profits. First introduced in 2013, the grants create and strengthen community partnerships between organizations, farmers, and schools, leading to business and economic opportunities for local farmers and healthy food options and educational opportunities for students. As U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue put it, “Everybody wins with Farm to School. USDA is proud to help the next generation better understand where its food comes from, while strengthening local economies.”   

In addition to benefiting local communities, Farm to School grants can be beneficial for the environment. On average, food traveling to grocery stores is transported an estimated 1,500 miles, which makes up 11 percent of the greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted from food. However, because these Farm to School Grants lead to the purchase of local food, GHGs from transport are reduced. In 2013 and 2014, as a result of the programs and partnerships the program created, schools purchased more than $789 million in local food, simultaneously reducing their GHG emissions and benefiting their communities and students. 

While all of the grants go towards local, food-based initiatives, the projects themselves vary. Across the country, funding may go towards boosting preexisting programs, purchasing equipment for gardening or other activities, bringing new and healthier foods to schools, and/or creating experiential learning opportunities like gardening, field trips to farms, or food taste testing events. 

The Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma received $49,875 to implement a program with Miami Public Schools to incorporate locally raised bison meat in school lunch programs. The meat would come from the Tribe’s herd and would expand lunch options throughout the district. Through the implementation of this program, Miami Public Schools will strengthen their relationship with the Tribe, and in the words of the Superintendent, the program will help “to meet the needs of the community and most importantly, our students.” 

In Theodore, Alabama, a foodbank, Feeding the Gulf Coast, received $81,200 to work with Mobile County Public Schools to provide students with local, healthy afterschool snacks, and bags of fresh food to take home to their families. In addition, the grant will fund 30 minute education sessions for students about nutrition and agriculture in an effort to “better connect children to their food.” From the perspective of Feeding the Gulf Coast, “Kids win, farmers win, and communities win.” 

In Reno, Nevada, Urban Roots received $74,527 to implement a year-long experiential learning program for low-income schools to teach students about agriculture and healthy eating. The program, in partnership with the Washoe County School District and the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, will teach approximately 1,000 students how to garden and will also include family programing and lessons on Native American traditions, culture, and nutrition. 

Not only do Farm to School Grants spur local economies, educate and feed children, and reduce GHG emissions, but they also help prepare future generations for careers in the food industry. “Our nation’s food supply depends on more young people entering the field of agriculture as farmers retire,” said Perdue, “Farm to school inspires young people to consider careers in agriculture and food systems.’” 

These programs are of particular importance in light of the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report on Climate Change and Land which highlights that approximately 23 percent of global anthropogenic GHG emissions come from agriculture, forestry, and other land use. While the report details the array of threats facing global food supplies, it also states with high confidence that “sustainable land management can contribute to reducing the negative impacts of multiple stressors, including climate change, on ecosystems and societies.” Grant opportunities such as the Farm to School program can serve as a model for future projects that also focus on sustainable land management and food production.

 

 

Author: Heather Luedke