Reporting from Washington, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack of the United States made several significant announcements on Wednesday at Annandale Terrace Elementary School in Virginia. He introduced two fresh grant opportunities and a partnership for training and technical assistance that will bolster the continued investment in nutritious school meals.

The announcement aligns with the objectives outlined at September 2022’s historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health and coincides with National School Lunch Week, proclaimed by President Biden, and National Farm to School Month celebrations as part of USDA‘s coordinated efforts with community members and nationwide partners.

Vilsack affirmed, “USDA is devoted to providing students with the nutrition they necessitate for optimal performance. Moreso, through our continuous supply of delicious, healthy meals, we’re enabling US schools to empower the young learners. In the wake of the National School Lunch Week and Farm to School Month, it’s an apt time to announce these supportive measures for schools acknowledging the crucial role that school meals play.”

The USDA is set to collaborate with the Urban School Food Alliance to equip schools with tools and training to procure high quality food. Addressing recent hurdles schools have faced in obtaining healthy food consistently and efficiently, this initiative will guide schools in their meal procurement procedures.

Dr. Katie Wilson, Executive Director of the Urban School Food Alliance, noted the potential of this cooperative effort with USDA to enhance school food procurement practices nationwide is a game-changer. Dr. Wilson added that introducing new efficiency tools will support a sustainable food system and benefit local economies.

As part of the recent developments, USDA announced two new grant opportunities:

1. USDA Farm to School Grants, aimed at aiding local child nutrition programs in serving fresh, local foods. Applications are open from today until January 12, 2024.
2. School Food Systems Transformation Challenge Sub-Grants, which will soon accept applications. As the second phase of USDA’s Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative, these sub-grants will fund innovative projects in the school meals sphere.

Furthermore, the USDA and Urban School Food Alliance partnership is committed to developing best practices for school food procurement, creating a stimulus action plan to tackle procurement challenges, and introducing an interactive bid template for streamlining procurement processes.

Lastly, four organizations leading the School Food Systems Transformation Challenge Sub-Grants will initiate applications starting November 2023, encouraging innovative collaborations to stimulate a balanced, resilient, and nutritious school food system.

The Farm to School Program, or the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program, supports child nutrition programs by integrating local foods into school meals. Alerts and updates about the program are available through a monthly newsletter, The Dirt.

Since 2013, USDA has provided $84 million in grants, influencing projects in all 50 states and accessing over 28 million students at over 63,000 schools. A minimum of $10 million will be disbursed in grants in 2024.

Wrapping up with an additional announcement, USDA launched the 2023 Farm to School Census this month, a periodic survey mapping local procurement and agricultural education participation across school districts. All districts are urged to complete the survey to strike an accurate snapshot of farm to school activities nationwide.