ODA Awards $500,000 in Farm to School Grants

This week, the Oregon Department of Agriculture announced the winners of the Farm to School Producer Equipment and Infrastructure Grants. The F2S EI Grant is the first state-funded grant program to help producers and processors overcome financial barriers to entering or expanding into the school marketplace. In addition to considering representation of diverse industries and regions of the state, ODA considered applications from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), women, federally recognized Tribes, and veterans.

ODA received approximately $1,000,000 in requested funds from 22 qualified applicants. Of the twelve projects selected for funding, most are growers who produce fresh crops or minimally processed products for school meals. One is a food business that makes culturally specific foods. ODA revised the scope of some applications to award as many projects as possible.

Collectively, grantees provided more than $145,000 in matching funds towards the state’s investment. Those awarded grant money include:

And the Plot Chickens (Burns) -- $34,213
Danish Honey Farms LLC (Chiloquin) -- $74,897
Full Cellar Farm (Boring) -- $29,478
Happy Curry Foods (Salem) -- $75,000
Little Wings Farm LLC (Eugene) -- $23,701
Poole Family Farm (Hood River) -- $74,900
Rusted Gate Farm (Central Point) -- $10,064
Salsa Garcia (Eugene) -- $15,000
Sufiya Farm (Portland) -- $41,018
Terra Sol Organics (Williams) -- $43,185
Valley Flora (Langlois) -- $29,910
Whistling Duck Farm LLC (Grants Pass) -- $47,400

ODA said the goal of this competitive grant program is to provide financial resources for Oregon producers (farmers, ranchers, seafood harvesters and processors) with specific equipment and infrastructure needs, and who intend to sell food produced or processed in Oregon to any of the following food sponsors:

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)
Tribal schools, Tribal Early Learning/Childhood Education sites, and other Tribal youth meal programs.

For more information about the Oregon Farm to School Program please visit ODA’s Farm to School Webpage.

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