Upcoming Events
The Louisiana Farm to School Gathering will take place at Pennington Biomedical Convention Center from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm on September 28, 2022. The event will gather farm to school stakeholders, working from across the state to grow locally sourced meals and snacks, garden spaces, and healthy food and agriculture literacy in Louisiana.
The event is for all people who desire to increase access to local food and food education in their school communities. Whether you desire to start a school garden and do not know where to start, or are a seasoned advocate of local food procurement, this event is for you. Attendees can attend in-person sessions guided by farm to school champions across the state. Sessions will focus on implementing farm to school, farm to school education, agri-tourism, early childhood education, school gardens, cooking in the classroom, and taste tests. In addition, the gathering will feature a venue for networking, allowing both exhibitors and attendees the opportunity to meet in a relaxed face-to-face environment and establish lasting relationships.
Funding Opportunities
Louisiana Ag In The Classroom Google Classroom Enrollment Form
Are you a Louisiana PreK-12 teacher? Are you looking for new resources to use with your students after state testing? Would you like to receive a FREE bundle of classroom teaching materials, a $25 Amazon gift card, AND be entered into our Winter 2022 drawing for an iPad? All while learning about free resources available to teach your Louisiana State Standards? Head over to this link to enroll in our 2022 Louisiana Ag in the Classroom Google Classroom to join a group of like-minded educators looking to add more resources to their classroom this year! Register today by visiting https://aitcla.org/google-aitc! Enrollment has been capped at the first 125 teachers to register!
CHS Foundation Classroom Grant Program
CHS Foundation provides $500 grants each year to pre-kindergarten-12th grade teachers who have classroom projects that use agricultural concepts to teach reading, writing, math, science, social studies and more. Eligible projects include classroom and schoolyard gardens, embryology projects, aquaculture projects and agricultural literacy reading programs to name a few. The CHS Classroom Grant application is now available and the deadline for applications is Sept. 15. Teachers have until June 1 the following year to complete the project and submit a final report. Only state-certified classroom teachers employed by a school district or private school teachers are eligible to apply.
The deadline for application submission is September 15, 2022.
Budding Botanist Grant
Designed to further the mission of the Klorane Botanical Foundation, the Budding Botanist grant will help our students learn about plants, explore their world, and inspire them to take care of the life they discover in their local ecosystems.
In late 2022, twenty high-need schools across the United States will be awarded $1,000 in grant funding to support their youth garden programs. Any public, charter, or private school serving K-12 students in the US with 40% of student population qualifying for free or reduced-price meals.
The deadline for application submission is October 14, 2022.
Center for Science in the Public Interest Grants
CSPI is releasing several grant opportunities this funding cycle organized into 4 focus areas: State and local policy grants, Community prioritized policy innovation grants, Federal lobbying grants, Power building grants. Many topics will be relevant to school food, SNAP, CNR, and other categories relevant to Farm to School. Find more information, including resources for applicants and application information, and sign up to be notified about relevant funding opportunities here.
RWJF’s Evidence for Action: Investigator-Initiated Research to Build a Culture of Health
This program funds research that expands the evidence needed to build a Culture of Health, which is broadly defined as one in which good health and well-being flourish across geographic, demographic, and social sectors; public and private decision making is guided by the goal of fostering equitable communities; and everyone has the opportunity to make choices that lead to healthy lifestyles. Proposals are accepted on a rolling basis. Learn more about the proposal process and the program itself.
COVID-19 GEN YOUth COVID-19 Emergency School Nutrition Funding
GENYOUth is providing grants of up to $3,000 per school to supply much-needed resources for meal distribution and delivery efforts to get food to students during COVID-19. From soft-sided coolers, bags and containers for individual servings, to protective gear for food service sanitation and safety, this equipment will help ensure our children continue to receive the nutritious meals they need. Applications will be reviewed and approved on a rolling basis. Apply here.
National Education Association Foundation Grants
Student Success Grants, offered by the National Education Association (NEA) Foundation, are for projects that help students learn how to think critically and solve problems in order to improve student learning. Learning & Leadership Grants, offered by the NEA Foundation, are for professional development opportunities for individuals or groups. Grants are available to current members of NEA who are educators in public schools or public institutions of higher education. Preference is given to proposals that incorporate STEM and/or global learning into projects, which can include farm to school activities. Two levels of funding are available: $2,000 and $5,000. Apply for a Student Success Grant here or a Learning & Leadership Grant here.
The Bee Grant
The Bee Cause Project empowers students, teachers, and community members to experience the wonder, ingenuity, beauty, and power of the honey bee. Join the network of passionate educators, beekeepers, and community leaders in building the buzz for integrating bees into STEAM education. Learn more about the Bee Grant and apply here.
Captain Planet Project Learning Garden
Schools can apply now to win a Captain Planet Foundation Project Learning Garden through partnerships with grocery retailers around the country. Grand Prize Winners will receive a one-year supply of DOLE Fruit Bowls and a Project Learning Garden provided by Captain Planet Foundation, including: 5 garden beds or garden expansion (for schools with an existing garden), mobile garden cooking cart, standards-based Learning Garden lessons and lesson supply kits, and online teacher training. Learn more about the Project Learning Garden and apply here.
The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation (FTPF) and Dreyer’s Fruit Bars
FTPF and Dreyer’s are planting orchards across the country in a collaborative program called “Communities Take Root,” and your town could be next! They invite your community to apply for this exciting opportunity to grow fresh fruit, beautify neighborhoods, strengthen relationships and build community food security—all through the simple act of planting fruit trees. FTPF is currently accepting the first 100 qualified applications for the next round of the program, which involves a public online vote to select the final recipients. * FTPF provides all plants, related materials and equipment, community workshops and training, and our team will work with your community volunteers to install the orchard. Recipients must have the appropriate space and commitment to the orchard to qualify. Download the application here and submit via email only. *Schools are not eligible to apply. Please visit the Fruit Tree 101 Grants page for more information about the school orchard program.
Salad Bars to Schools
Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools is a comprehensive grassroots public health effort to mobilize and engage stakeholders at the local, state and national level to support salad bars in schools. Their vision is to significantly increase salad bars in schools across the country until every child has the choice of healthy fruits and vegetables every day at school. Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools is an initiative of the Food Family Farming Foundation, National Fruit and Vegetable Alliance, United Fresh Produce Association Foundation, and Whole Foods Market to support First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative. The goal of the Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools program is to fund and award 6000 salad bars over the next three years.