Program Overview
The purpose of this grant is to expand farm to school and early childhood programming in Vermont by amplifying innovative work in individual school communities, strengthening farm to school support services, and reaching underserved school and early childhood communities. Strong proposals will improve child nutrition, enhance educational experiences, and connect youth with the land, local farms, and their local community.
Proposals will address specific challenges related to the interconnections between agriculture, nutrition, community and health. Applicants will be required, using qualitative and/or quantitative evidence, to identify a challenge impacting their community. Applicants will then need to demonstrate how they seek to address that challenge through their proposed farm to school project.
Applications open from February 27 - April 10, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Eligibility
Eligible Applicants:
- Vermont schools, school districts, licensed and/or registered childcare providers and licensed afterschool programs are eligible to apply for this grant. Both individual educational institutions, as well as groups or networks, are eligible to apply.
- Non-profits or community organizations that conduct programming in Vermont are also eligible, but must demonstrate partnership in their application with a school, childcare provider, afterschool program, or another organization in the Vermont Farm to School and Early Childhood Network.
Eligible Projects:
- Amplifying innovative approaches to farm to school and early childhood: Developing or expanding innovative farm to school initiatives focused on a particular school, early childhood program, or community. Strong proposals in this category will involve plans for information sharing, outreach, or building partnerships with other communities so that projects might be replicated or built upon in other communities.
- Strengthening farm to school and early childhood support systems: Developing or expanding larger scale (e.g. statewide, county-level, or district-level) efforts that will help multiple schools or early childhood programs develop or expand farm to school programs.
- Reaching underserved communities: Developing or expanding farm to school efforts in communities that experience food security challenges or those that have not received a Farm to School and Early Childhood Grant in the past 4 years. Areas experiencing food security challenges can be identified using the 2024 Vermont CACFP Mapping Tool (which identifies food deserts, areas with a low child opportunity index, and areas where a significant amount of adults are living below the federal poverty level) and free and reduced-price meal rates. Applicants can find a list of all grants awarded on the Farm to School and Early Childhood Grant History page.
How to Apply
- Read the 2025 Farm to School and Early Childhood Vision Grant Request for Applications.
- Sign up for the 2025 Vision Grant Optional Applicant Webinar / Q&A on Wednesday, March 12 at 11:00 AM.
- Register in WebGrants (may take up to two business days).
- Complete your application in WebGrants using our Application Guide. Application deadline is Thursday April 10, 2025 at 2:00 PM.
Informational Webinar
A webinar providing an overview of the funding opportunity and walk-through of the application will be offered Wednesday, March 12 at 11:00 AM-12:00 PM. Sign up for the webinar as soon as possible to get the event on your calendar. Everyone who signs up will also receive the webinar recording, once available. The webinar recording will also be posted on this page, once available.
