Farm To School Program

The Farm to School Program works to connect Oregon farmers, ranchers, seafood harvesters, and food processors with school cafeterias, early child care centers, and summer meal sites. This enables more Oregon agricultural products to be served in the lunch line. It also helps connect youth to food production through school gardens, field trips to farms and ranches, and grower visits to the classroom.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) and the National Farm to School Network recognize the core elements of Farm to School.

1. Education
2. Procurement
3. School gardens

Farm to School programs:

• serve locally grown, raised, harvested or processed foods in school cafeterias,
• improve student nutrition,
• provide agriculture, health, and nutrition education opportunities; and
• support Oregon’s agricultural economy.

Oregon Farm to School Equipment and Infrastructure Grant Program (2023-2025)

Oregon Farm to School Equipment and Infrastructure Grant Program (2023-2025)

The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) is pleased to announce a new grant opportunity to help Oregon producers and processors access the school marketplace. 

While the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) is responsible for allocating most of the Farm to School funds in Oregon, ODA oversees $500,000 for the 2023-2025 biennium in equipment and infrastructure grants for producers who intend to expand sales or start selling to schools and other eligible entities described below.

The goal of this competitive grant program is to provide financial resources for Oregon farmers, ranchers, seafood harvesters, fishermen, and processors with specific equipment and infrastructure needs, and who intend to sell food produced (grown, harvested, gathered, raised, caught or processed) in Oregon to any of the following ODE Child Nutrition Program (CNP) food sponsors and Tribal entities:

• A school district participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP);
• A provider of center-based programs for children in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP);
• An entity that provides meals through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP); and
• Tribal schools, Tribal Early Learning/Childhood Education sites, and other Tribal youth meal programs.

Eligible equipment and infrastructure costs include, but are not limited to:

• Grading, packing, labeling, packaging, or sorting equipment for raw agricultural products
• Equipment that helps to maintain the identity and traceability of products
• Processing equipment or physical improvements for production and/or value-added processing facility to reduce produce and food safety risks
• Cooler walls and refrigeration units
• Contractor costs and materials for installation of approved equipment, including, for example, plumbing, drainage, venting, and electrical work
• Renewable energy production equipment
• Produce and food safety certification and licensing fees
• Equipment and infrastructure for production and season extension

In April 2024, an evaluation committee will review proposals and recommend to the ODA Director on selecting the top-ranked applications. Projects chosen to receive funding will be announced in May 2024.  Awarded funds are estimated to be available June 2024 to begin project work.

For questions, please send an email to the general grant inbox: f2sgrant@oda.oregon.gov

Timeline

Application materials in English

• Farm to School Producer Equipment and Infrastructure Grant Guidelines
• Proposal form (preferred application format)
• Proposal form (Word document - use only if unable to use pdf format)
• Intent to buy letter template

Material de solicitud en español

El ODA está aceptando solicitudes para el Programa de Subvenciones para el Equipamiento y la Infraestructura de los Productores del Programa de Farm to School de Oregón para el período 2023 – 2025.

• Directrices de subvención
• Formulario de propuesta de subvención
• Plantilla de carta de intención de compra

Nyenzo za maombi kwa Kiswahili

• Miongozo ya ruzuku
• Fomu ya pendekezo
• Nia ya kununua kiolezo cha barua

Farm to School Producer and Processor Toolbox

The Farm to School Toolbox is designed to help producers and processors that are new to the farm to school program and need assistance understanding the school markets, food safety requirements and how to get started developing business relationships with schools.

Getting started

• The School Market Readiness Assessment will help you self-evaluate your business and identify steps to become ready to sell to schools under the Farm to School Program.
• Successful business relationships with schools begin with school nutrition directors. This school nutrition director tip sheet provides useful information to help make your conversations with school nutrition directors productive and help you secure sales with schools.
• It is important to know the food safety requirements for the products you grow, raise, harvest or process for school markets. In most cases, the requirements your business needs to meet will depend on the form (e.g., frozen, fresh, processed) and type (e.g., meat, seafood or cut vegetables).
• For very small farms, schools may have their own food safety requirements and may ask to visit your farm to review your on farm food safety plan to safeguard the production, harvesting, handling, packaging and storage of the products you intend to sell to schools. The On-Farm Food Safety Plan and Checklist for Child Nutrition Programs will assist you with conversations and visits from school administrators.

Growing your school sales

• There are several economic advantages to working with distributors that have school accounts. This distributor tip sheet will help you weigh the pros and cons.

• Communicating with School Nutrition Directors
  The school nutrition director is often responsible for making procurement decisions and are the key people to contact when selling to schools.
• Food Safety Requirements for Oregon Producers Selling into Child Nutrition Programs
  Ensure you have the proper food safety licensure to sell to schools, early childcare centers, and organizations serving summer meals in Oregon.
• School Market Readiness Assessment - PDF - Word
  This worksheet is intended to help you determine what steps you need to take as a producer or food business to become ready to sell to schools, early childcare centers, or summer food sites.
• Small Farm Food Safety Plan & Checklist - PDF - Word
• Working with Distributors
  Considerations for working with distributors as a farm to school producer.