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CA Farm to School Incubator Grant Program

As part of California’s nation-leading investment in farm to school programs, the California Department of Food and Agriculture Office of Farm to Fork (CDFA-F2F) has received funding through the California Budget Acts of 2020, 2021 and 2022 to establish and continue the California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program.

In 2021, CDFA-F2F awarded $8.5 million in grant funding to 60 farm to school projects across the state.
In 2022, CDFA-F2F awarded $25.5 million in grant funding to 120 farm to school projects across the state.
In 2024, CDFA-F2F will award up to $52.8 million in grant funding to farm to school projects across the state!

2023-24 California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program Now Accepting Applications!

The California Budget Acts of 2021 and 2022 appropriated a combined $60 million from the General Fund to the CDFA for the 2023-24 California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program. The CDFA will make up to $52.8 million available for the four funding tracks. The amount of funds that the CDFA will award in each funding track will depend on the number of competitive applications that the CDFA receives in each funding track.

Program Timeline

Activity Date (estimated)
PT Pacific Time
Grant Application Opens February 13, 2024
Grant Application Closes April 4, 2024 @ 5 PM PT
Q&A Zoom Sessions Weekly throughout the application period
Review Process April - May 2024
Award Announcement May/June 2024
Grant Term Begins November 2024
Grant Term Ends October 2026


To support a systems approach to advancing farm to school throughout the state, the 2023-24 California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program offers four funding tracks.

  • Track 1: The California Farm to School TK-12 Procurement and Education Grant
  • Track 2: The California Farm to School Technical Assistance (TA) Grant
  • Track 3: The California Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE) Grant
  • Track 4: The California Farm to School Producer Grant

The CDFA cannot assist in the preparation of grant applications; however, for general assistance and questions related to the Farm to School Incubator Grant Program process, please contact the CDFA Office of Farm to Fork via email at cafarmtoschool@cdfa.ca.gov.

CDFA-F2F will anonymize and summarize the questions and answers online on a weekly basis so that all potential applicants may benefit from submitted questions and answers. To ensure a response from the CDFA, please submit questions by March 28, 2024.

At the beginning of the application period, the CDFA-F2F will host an info session via Zoom to provide an overview of the 2023-24 California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program.

During the application period, the CDFA-F2F will conduct a series of weekly Q&A Zoom Sessions about the California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program Request for Applications. Each session will include time for questions and answers.

Additionally, the CDFA-F2F will conduct Q&A Zoom Sessions specifically for California Native American Tribes, Tribal-based non-profit organizations, and Tribal schools.

Please follow the Zoom registration links below. Each session will be recorded and posted online.

*For California Native American Tribes, Tribal-based non-profit organizations, and Tribal schools (open to the public)



Previous Grant Awards

View information about previous grant rounds and view the project summaries of previously awarded grant projects below!

The 2021 California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program is focused on supporting local and regional farm to school projects that promote nutrition education, sustainable food production and procurement, and high-quality student experience.

Grant Awards

In 2021, CDFA-F2F awarded $8.496 million in grants to 60 Farm to School projects throughout the state through two funding tracks!

Resources

The 2022 California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program is focused on supporting projects that cultivate equity, nurture students, build climate resilience, and create scalable and sustainable change.

Grant Awards

In 2022, as part of California's nation-leading investment in farm to school programs, CDFA-F2F awarded $25.5 million in funding for 120 farm to school projects across the state. In total, these projects represent 1,489,364 students, 163 school districts and educational entities, over 50 farms, four food hubs and enormous support from California's urban, rural and suburban communities.

Resources

Program Status

OPEN

The 2023-24 Farm to School Incubator Grant Program application period is open until April 4, 2024.

Sign Up for Grant Updates

To stay up to date on the California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program, we encourage you to sign up for our newsletter.

Questions?

Contact our Farm to School team at cafarmtoschool@cdfa.ca.gov

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