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.
- Education
- Procurement
- 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.
ODA partners with the Oregon Department of Education to implement the Oregon Farm to School and School Garden Program.
Oregon Farm to School Equipment and Infrastructure Grant Program (2021-2023)
The grant program is currently full and closed for the biennium. Please visit this page after July 2023 for information on the next grant cycle.
Request for Applications (RFA) opens
| April 18, 2022
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Grant informational webinar
| April 25, 2022 Watch the webinar
|
RFA Closes
| May 23, 2022
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Screen applications for qualifying proposals
| May 23 - May 31, 2022
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Proposals reviewed by grant evaluation committee
| June 16, 2022
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Recommended proposals reviewed by Directors Office
| Week of June 20, 2022
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Awards announced
| July 5, 2022
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Application materials in English
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 2022 – 2023.
Nyenzo za maombi kwa Kiswahili
ODA sasa inakubali maombi ya kilimo cha 2022 - 2023 Oregon kwa vifaa vya wazalishaji wa shule na mpango wa ruzuku ya miundombinu.
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.
Resources
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. Communicating with School Nutrition Directors
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. Food safety requirements
Working with Distributors
Considerations for working with distributors as a farm to school producer. Working with Distributors