Bringing Local Foods to Students: Achievements and Learnings from USDA Farm to School Grantees

The Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program awards grants annually to support schools, non-profits, Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs), state agencies, producers, and other entities who are planning, developing, and implementing farm to school programs. These programs serve local foods and provide education on food and agriculture to children in schools, child care settings, and summer meal sites. This report presents findings of the FNS evaluation of the fiscal year (FY) 2018 and FY 2019 Farm to School grantees, highlighting their activities, achievements, and challenges. Grantee project duration varied, but many projects extended through school year 2020–21. A 2021 report evaluated Farm to School grantees from FY 2013 through 2017.

Key Findings

• FY 2018 and FY 2019 Farm to School grants supported over 1,000 school districts and close to 9,000 schools across the U.S., including territories and ITOs.
• Grant-funded projects facilitated greater community support for school meals and higher student participation.
• Grantees found new sources for local foods and made more local food purchases. They saw positive changes in staff attitudes toward incorporating fresh, local foods.
• Due to grant funding, at least 179,000 students benefited from taste tests; 145,000 from edible school gardening or orchard activities; 42,000 from farmer visits; and 28,000 from field trips to farms.
• Grantees trained over 4,700 teachers, 4,500 food service staff, and 1,100 farmers as part of grant projects.
• Grantees were largely able to accomplish their project objectives, despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.