WSDA Awarded $1.5M To Expand Farm-To-School Efforts

The Washington State Department of Agriculture has awarded $1,503,874 to promote and expand farm to school efforts statewide. The Department announced the new grant program in the fall of 2020 to support local food purchasing in schools, childcare centers and summer meal programs. To make that possible, the WSDA received $5 from the 2021Legislative session for the current sate budge cycle to launch the new grant program, expanding the current Farm to School program.

This month, the Department notified 52 organizations, spanning 23 counties, that they had been awarded funds from of the first round of the new Farm to School Purchasing Grants.

Recipients include:

• 38 school programs, including 1 tribal school program
• 13 child care programs, including 2 tribal early learning programs
• 1 summer meal program

A second round of grants will be available for the 2022-2023 school year.

The Farm to School Purchasing Grant is meant to support farm to
school efforts by making it possible for schools, childcares, and summer meal programs to increase their procurement of Washington grown foods. Farm to school purchasing makes nutritious, local foods available to more children and expands market opportunities for local farms.   

The grants range from $1,000 to more than $200,000, based on the number of children served by the program or the size of the nutrition program.  The grant is administered in partnership with Washington’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

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