Overview
Farm-to-School is the promotion and use of foods produced by New York State farmers in meals served in cafeterias of K-12 schools. Associations between farms and schools through the cafeteria and classroom can enhance the quality of food served. With over 700 school districts in New York State, there is the opportunity to foster relationships among New York State farmers, food hubs, producers, processors, and distributors to benefit school-age children.
Governor Cuomo launched the New York State Farm-to-School Competitive Grants Program in 2015 to increase the purchase of local specialty crops by school districts and by individual schools, through developing existing strengths while building additional relationships between schools and suppliers. The Farm-to-School Competitive Grants Program has grown from $325,000 in 2015 to $1,500,000 in 2019.
Apply
A total of $1,500,000 is available for the Farm-to-School Competitive Grants Program. Grant awards may range from $25,000 to $100,000.
All entities that wish to apply for grants in New York State must be registered in the Grants Gateway. This process includes filling out and mailing a signed and notarized registration form. Registration information can be found on the Grants Management website or the Grant Opportunity Portal.
All non-profit organizations applying for grants in New York State must be prequalified in the Grants Gateway prior to submitting their grant applications.