Community Food Systems

Over 67,000 schools
participate in Farm to School.

Over 67,000 schools
participate in Farm to School.

FNS Office of Community Food Systems

The Office of Community Food Systems (OCFS) helps child nutrition program operators incorporate local foods in the National School Lunch Program and its associated programs, as well as the Summer Food Service Program and Child and Adult Care Food Program. In addition, OCFS staff works with tribal communities to respond to their desire to better incorporate traditional foods into our meal programs. OCFS accomplishes this through grant making, training and technical assistance and research.

Fact Sheets Farm to School Census
tomatoes

I am a...

State/Local Agency Program Operator Farmer/Producer

Farm to School is Growing

Grant Program Grant Awards
2021 Farm to School Grant Awardees

USDA is pleased to announce the 2021 Farm to School grant awardees.

Since 2013, the USDA Farm to School grant program has offered annual grants to schools, school districts, nonprofits, state agencies, agricultural producers, and Indian tribal organizations to plan, implement, or provide training on farm to school activities. The Food and Nutrition Service is committed to working with schools and agricultural partners to ensure healthy habits take root in early childhood.

Please visit the grant award page for more information and to read more about this announcement.

The 2019 Farm to School Census is Here!

USDA announces the results of the 2019 Farm to School Census, the only nationwide survey designed to measure farm to school activities among school food authorities participating in the National School Lunch Program.

Read the new Farm to School Census and Comprehensive report for insight on the scope of farm to school activity today.

Find out how farm to school has taken root on the new Farm to School Census Website.

What's New?

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Project Revisions and No Cost Extensions - Farm to School Grants
Grants
Community Food Systems Fact Sheets
Fact Sheets
Effective Strategies States Can Use to Support Community Food Systems
Technical Assistance & Guidance
2021 Farm to School Grantee Checklist
Guidance Documents
The USDA Farm to School Grant Program
Fact Sheets
FY 2021 Farm to School Grants Awardees List
Grants
USDA Awards $12 Million in Record-Breaking Farm to School Grants, Releases New Data Showing Expansion of Farm to School Efforts
News Item
Farm to School Census and Comprehensive Review
Research
Seeding Success 2021 - Webinar 4: Compost and Till
Webinars/Videos
Seeding Success 2021 - Webinar 3 - Harvesting and Sharing
Webinars/Videos
Seeding Success 2021 - Webinar 2 - Weeding and Seeding
Webinars/Videos
Seeding Success 2021 Webinar 1 - "Plotting and Planning"
Webinars/Videos
FAQ: Accessing PDF Documents for Farm to School Grant Progress Reporting
FAQs/Q&As
10 Facts About Local Food in Schools
Fact Sheets
Local Procurement Decision Tree
Fact Sheets
Developing and Writing a Successful Application
Webinars/Videos

Spotlights

girl eating peach

Farm to CACFP

Farm to preschool works to connect early child care and education settings to local food producers with the objectives of serving locally-grown, healthy foods to young children, providing related nutrition education, and improving child nutrition.

boy with carrots

Farm to Summer

In many regions across the United States, USDA’s Summer Food Service Program aligns well with the peak growing season, allowing schools and nonprofit organizations to serve products in their freshest state.

Farm to School Grant Program
Procuring Local Foods
USDA Farm to School Staff
Farm to School Resources
Farm to School Planning Toolkit
e-Letter Archive