Current grant opportunities for educators to incorporate agriculture into the classroom.
Samull Classroom Herb Garden Grant
The Herb Society of America will select ten (10) schools/classrooms serving grades 3 through 6 to receive $200 "Seed Money" to establish an indoor or outdoor herb garden. The funds may be used for supplies such as soil, plant trays, containers, child or youth sized tools, etc. The application deadline is October 1, 2018. Learn more and apply here.
GreenWorks! Grants
Project Learning Tree offers GreenWorks! grants of up to $1,000 to schools and youth organizations for environmental service-learning projects that link classroom learning to the real world. Students implement an action project they help design to green their school or to improve an aspect of their neighborhood’s environment. Applications are due Sept. 30. Learn more here.
CHS Foundation/National Agriculture in the Classroom Grant Application Form
The $500 grants will be awarded to kindergarten through 12th grade general education teachers whose innovative classroom projects use agricultural concepts to teach reading, writing, math, nutrition, science and/or social studies. The online application is available here www.agclassroom.org In addition, grant proposals must demonstrate how they will involve a local farmer, rancher or agriculture industry representative in the project. The deadline for grant proposals is September 15, 2018 at 5 p.m. Eastern Time. Grant proposals will be accepted as online submissions only. Please head to the website for more information.
Farm to ECE Funding Opportunity – Act Now to Leverage Funds in Your State
The federal budget passed in March 2018 included historic increases for key federal early care and education programs, notably the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), which funds the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program, was increased by $2.37 billion. Some of this new influx of funding will be used for quality improvements to early care and education that can include farm to ECE initiatives. Review this new memo from the National Farm to School Network and the Policy Equity Group for more information and ways to take action in your state. For more information, contact Lacy Stephens, Program Manager at the National Farm to School Network, at lacy@farmtoschool.org or Soumya Bhat, Director of Early Childhood Equity Initiatives at the Policy Equity Group, soumyab@policyequity.com.
2018 CACFP Meal Service Training Grants
To assist States and CACFP operators with implementation of the updated CACFP meal patterns, Congress appropriated funds for the provision of noncompetitive grants for States to provide hands-on training and technical assistance. These meal service training grants will assist State agencies in providing job skills training for CACFP operators on ways to plan and prepare and serve nutritious foods. Learn more about specific training focus areas and how to apply here.
Updated SARE State Summaries and Grants Lists Now Available
Since 1988, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program has been a go-to USDA grants and outreach program for farmers, ranchers, researchers and educators who develop innovations that improve farm profitability, protect water and land, and revitalize communities. SARE has awarded over $251 million to more than 6,300 projects. Learn more about funded grants, project highlights and a breakdown of funding in your state using our newly updated portfolio summaries and grant lists.
Walmart Foundation
The Walmart Foundation’s Community Grant Program is offering grants to nonprofit organizations and agencies that work in one of the following areas: hunger relief and healthy eating, health and human service, quality of life, education, community and economic development, diversity and inclusion, public safety, or environmental sustainability. Awards range from $250 to $5,000. Deadline: applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Learn more here.
Home Depot Foundation
The Home Depot Foundation provides funding for nonprofit organizations and public agencies in the United States that are using the power of volunteers to improve communities through its Community Impact Grants program. Priority is given to projects that benefit veterans and/or diverse and underserved communities. Projects should be volunteer-friendly, engage people at all skill levels, and be expected to have a strong and lasting impact. Awards of up to $5,000 will be given in the form of The Home Depot gift cards for the purchase of tools, materials, or services. Deadline: awards are made on a rolling basis. Learn more here.
USDA Announces Support Available for Specialty Crops, the Local Food Sector, and Agricultural Marketing
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced nearly $89 million in available funding to support specialty crop growers, strengthen local and regional food systems, and explore new market opportunities for farmers and ranchers. USDA helps fund projects that bolster rural economies across the country. Learn more here.
Slow Food's Plant a Seed Campaign
Slow Food is excited to launch their Plant a Seed campaign for Spring 2018. This year, they are focusing on the Three Sisters — bean, corn and squash. They are able to offer free kits to the first 300 schools in need. Use promo code plantschoolfree if you would like a kit but cannot afford to pay. Once those run out, or if you have the budget to pay, you can use plantschoolhalf for a 50% discount. If you're not using this for a school garden, they ask that you pay full price. Order your school garden kit here.
Project Produce: Fruit and Veggie Grants for Schools
The Chef Ann Foundation presents Project Produce: Fruit and Veggie Grants for Schools. This grant is designed to help increase kids’ access to fresh fruits and vegetables and create experiential nutrition education when and where students make their food choices: in the cafeteria. The $2,500 one-year grants support food costs to incorporate school-wide fruit and vegetable tastings into the school's nutrition program. Grants will be determined on an ongoing basis depending on available funding. Learn more and apply.