FY 2022 Farm To School Grant Request for Applications.pdf

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Farm to School Grant Program

Fiscal Year 2022 Request for Applications

Catalog for Federal Domestic Assistance Number (CFDA): 10.575

Dates

Publication Date: October 22, 2021

Application Due Date: 11:59 PM, Eastern Standard Time (EST), January 10, 2022

Estimated Award Date: July 2022

OMB BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0584-0512. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 60 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

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Program Solicitation Information

Executive Summary The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA) establishes a Farm to School Program to assist eligible entities, through grants and technical assistance, in implementing farm to school programs that improve access to local foods in USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Child Nutrition Programs.

To fulfill the farm to school mandate in the NSLA, $5 million is provided to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) on an annual basis to support grants, technical assistance, and other activities related to USDA’s Farm to School Program. Since 2018, Congress has provided additional funding for the Farm to School Grant Program through agriculture appropriations and, as a result, USDA expects to award approximately $12 million under this solicitation. The USDA Farm to School Grant Program is administered by the Food and Nutrition Services’ (FNS) Office of Community Food Systems (OCFS).

Designed to increase the availability of local foods in schools, these grants can help new farm to school programs get started or expand existing efforts. These grants are intended as one-time infusions of funds to help grantees accomplish farm to school objectives that will be sustained over the long term. Funds support a wide range of activities from training, planning, and developing partnerships, to creating new menu items, establishing supply chains, offering taste tests to children, purchasing equipment, planting school gardens, and organizing field trips to agricultural operations. FNS will competitively award grants to eligible applicants for projects that meet the purpose of the grant program. In the FY 2021 application and award cycle, FNS received 232 eligible applications and awarded 177 (76 percent) of the applications. To be competitive, applications must be complete, i.e., fully responsive, and of high quality.

As mandated by the NSLA, selected grant projects are limited to no more than $100,000 each.

However, in anticipation of authority to provide grants of up to $500,000 in the FY 2022 agriculture appropriations, USDA will consider proposals of up to $500,000 from State agencies or other eligible organizations proposing projects that are multi-state or national in scope. Final award decisions will depend upon the final appropriation language. There are three grant tracks available for FY 2022: Turnkey grants, Implementation grants, and State Agency grants. Each track, along with the related eligibility requirements, is described in more detail below. Please see Section 3.0 for additional eligibility information. Eligible applicants who received an award in a fiscal year prior to 2019 are encouraged to propose projects that differ from previous awards they received under this program area. State agencies that received a Farm to School Grant in any prior year are eligible to apply for the State Agency or applicable Turnkey track in FY 2022. A 25 percent cash or in-kind funding match is required to receive a Farm to School Grant award and cannot be waived for any applicant.

All applicants are strongly encouraged to read this entire solicitation before submitting an application, as several sections have been modified from previous year solicitations. An Application Checklist is provided in Appendix A.

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Webinar Information and FAQ USDA will conduct at least one webinar to review the RFA and address questions regarding the application process. At this time, a general webinar is scheduled for Monday, November 8, 2021 at 2:30 p.m. ET. Notification of webinar details and call-in information will be communicated via the OCFS Resources for Grant Applicants (https://www.fns.usda.gov/cfs/resources-farm-school-grant-program-applicants) website.

USDA will work with national farm to school stakeholders to offer additional webinars to provide outreach and clarification to particular entities and priority areas. Organizations interested in hosting a webinar for their network may contact OCFS at sm.fn.FarmToSchool@usda.gov.

In addition, applicants can find a set of Frequently Asked Questions, summaries of previously awarded projects, and other important information online via the USDA OCFS website (https://www.fns.usda.gov/cfs). We strongly encourage applicants to review the Frequently Asked Questions resource prior to preparing their application.

https://www.fns.usda.gov/cfs/resources-farm-school-grant-program-applicants https://www.fns.usda.gov/cfs/resources-farm-school-grant-program-applicants https://www.fns.usda.gov/cfs/resources-farm-school-grant-program-applicants mailto:sm.fn.FarmToSchool@usda.gov https://www.fns.usda.gov/cfs

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Table of Contents

Farm to School Grant Program Fiscal Year 2022 Request for Applications

Program Solicitation Information Executive Summary Webinar Information and FAQ

Table of Contents

1.0 Program Description

1.1 Legislative Authority

1.2 Defining Local Foods

1.3 Grant Tracks

1.4 FY 2022 Funding Priorities

2.0 Federal Award Information

2.1 Type of Federal Assistance

2.2 Award Amounts and Period of Performance

2.3 Allowable Costs

2.4 Match Requirements and Cost Sharing

3.0 Eligibility Information

3.1 Turnkey Grant Eligibility

3.2 Implementation Grant Eligibility

3.3 State Agency Grant Eligibility

3.4 Additional Eligibility Requirements

3.5 Grantee Requirements

4.0 Application and Submission Information

4.1 Application Format

4.2 Turnkey Application Content: Project Narrative

4.3 Implementation Track and State Agency Track Application Content: Project Narrative

4.4. Application Content: Budget and Budget Narrative

4.5 Application Content: Attachments

4.6 Application Content: Required Grant Application Forms

4.7 Submitting an Application

5.0 Application Review Information

5.1 Initial Screening

5.2 Panel Review

5.3 Selection Process

5.4 Determination of Award Amounts

6.0 Accounting System & Financial Capability Questionnaire

7.0 Federal Award Administration Information

7.1 Federal Award Notice

7.2 Non-selected Applicants

7.3 Reporting Requirements

7.4 Administrative and National Policy Requirements

8.0 Federal Awarding Agency Contacts

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9.0 Other Information

9.1 What is Farm to School?

9.2 Promoting Health and Economic Opportunity Through Farm to School

Appendix A: Application Checklist Appendix B: Urban/Rural Classification Instructions Appendix C: Allowable and Unallowable Costs Appendix D: Optional Priority Group Declaration Checklist Appendix E: Budget Narrative Template

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1.0 Program Description

1.1 Legislative Authority

The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA) (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) establishes a Farm to School Program in order to assist eligible entities, through grants and technical assistance, in implementing farm to school programs that improve access to local foods in USDA Food and Nutrition (FNS) Child Nutrition Programs, including the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).

Each year $5 million is provided to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support grants, technical assistance, and other activities related to USDA’s Farm to School Program. Additional funding for the Farm to School Program was made available from the FY 2018 through FY 2021 agriculture appropriations acts and, as a result, USDA expects to award approximately $12 million under this solicitation. The USDA Farm to School Grant Program is administered by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Office of Community Food Systems (OCFS).

Authorizing language in Section 18(g) of the NSLA (42 U.S.C 1769(g)) directs the Secretary of Agriculture to award competitive grants, designed to improve access to local foods in eligible schools, for activities such as:

• Training;

• Supporting operations;

• Planning;

• Purchasing equipment;

• Developing school gardens;

• Developing partnerships; and,

• Implementing farm to school programs.

The NSLA also directs the Secretary to ensure geographical diversity and equitable treatment of urban, rural, and tribal communities in the distribution of grant awards, as well as give the highest priority to funding projects that, as determined by the Secretary:

• Make local food products available on the menu of the eligible school;

• Serve a high proportion of children who are eligible for free or reduced price lunches;

• Incorporate experiential nutrition education activities in curriculum planning that encourage the participation of school children in farm and garden-based agricultural education activities;

• Demonstrate collaboration between eligible schools, nongovernmental and community-based organizations, agricultural producer groups, and other community partners;

• Include adequate and participatory evaluation plans;

• Demonstrate the potential for long-term program sustainability; and,

• Meet any other criteria that the Secretary determines appropriate.

In alignment with the Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, (https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government/), the FY 2022 Farm to School Grant https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government/

7 | P a g e program takes a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all in farm to school programming, including people of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality. To reflect this, the FY 2022 Farm to School Grant awards will offer priority scoring incentives to applications serving at least 40% of students who are eligible for free or reduced price meals; applications from Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs) serving tribal communities; applications from organizations led by and serving Black, Indigenous or other communities of color; applications from agricultural producers or groups of agricultural producers; and projects located in and targeting Opportunity Zones or rural areas. Specific information about FY 2022 funding priorities is available in Section 1.4.

The NSLA also requires each Farm to School Grant recipient to provide matching support in the form of cash or in- kind contributions and agree to cooperate in an evaluation of the program carried out using grant funds. Please refer to Section 2.4 for a discussion of matching and in-kind requirements.

1.2 Defining Local Foods

USDA does not define “local” for the purposes of Farm to School. Instead, applicants to this RFA may have varying definitions of “local” that align with their particular needs and goals. Local and regional food systems are typically described as areas where all activities associated with producing, processing, distributing, and marketing foods take place. How one defines “local” or “regional” – which are used interchangeably in this RFA – can depend on geographic, social, governmental, physical, or economic parameters, seasonality, and/or other factors. Generally, local procurement aims to direct Child Nutrition Program funds into the local farm economy through purchasing food from nearby producers to use in Program meals. Local procurement options differ greatly across communities depending on district and school size, proximity to agricultural areas, growing season, and demographics.

1.3 Grant Tracks

Grant funds will be made available on a competitive basis, subject to availability of Federal funds, using three grant tracks: Farm to School Turnkey grants, Implementation grants, and State Agency grants. Applicant eligibility varies by grant track; for further clarification see Section 3.0. The grant tracks are independently awarded, and applicants may only submit one application. Applicants should carefully read the entire RFA before submitting an application to determine which grant track is best for their situation.

Required Activities Please note that the activity below is required for all grant tracks. The below activity must be clearly indicated in the “Project Work Plan Narrative” and “Project Work Plan Table” sections of the proposal narrative. Failure to indicate the below activity may result in a reduced score during review.

• Attend a mandatory grantee training meeting hosted by USDA in the first year of the grant period.

1.3.2 Turnkey Grant

The Turnkey grant is intended to streamline the application process by providing a pre-designed

8 | P a g e project work plan with a specific set of activities to complete common farm to school projects. FNS has identified model program designs that organizations can replicate, with flexibility in determining the steps taken to accomplish each prescribed activity. This simplifies the grant process while honoring the flexibilities required for each unique community to implement farm to school programs the way they best see fit.

To submit a Turnkey proposal, applicants must submit a proposal narrative summarizing the background and need and explaining how the applicant will complete specific activities required by FNS. A template for each Turnkey application narrative is contained in Section 4.2 and will be provided online through the Resources for Grant Applicants webpage (https://www.fns.usda.gov/cfs/resources-farm-school-grant-program-applicants). Please note that all Turnkey applicants, except for State agencies, are required to submit school or site information using the Farm to School Coversheet.

Applicants applying to the Turnkey track agree to conduct specific activities defined by FNS.

Applicants interested in the Turnkey track may choose from one of four projects: (1) Farm to School Action Plan Development; (2) Agricultural Education Curriculum development and delivery; (3) Edible Garden projects; or (4) USDA Farm to School Producer Training. The required activities for each Turnkey proposal are listed below; when submitting a Turnkey application, applicants must commit to completing all of the required activities listed. Applicants are encouraged to utilize or follow the corresponding proposal narrative template provided in Section 4.2, as failure to do so may significantly weaken the proposal. The pre-selected activities are already populated in the proposal narrative template to simplify the application process. Applicants will describe the tasks they will undertake to complete those activities. Turnkey grantees must attend the one-time training meeting (Grantee Gathering) with USDA personnel at the beginning of their grant. Additional activities added by the applicant will not be considered and may weaken the applicant’s proposal.

Applicants may only apply to one Turnkey project, and applicants may not apply to more than one grant track in the same year. Turnkey applications prescribe specific activities and may not offer the best fit for every applicant; therefore, the Implementation or State Agency tracks may be a better fit for applicants with an interest in innovative, original proposals and/or proposals that cover a broad range of activities. More information about the Implementation and State Agency tracks is available in Section 1.3.2.

Please note that if awarded, grantees are required to report on progress towards completing the objectives and activities specified in their application using the FNS-908 Performance Progress Report form provided by FNS.

• Turnkey Required Activities: Farm to School Action Plan

The Farm to School Action Plan project focuses on activities that will lay a solid foundation for launching or scaling a farm to school program. Recipients of these grants must develop a comprehensive Farm to School Action Plan document. The Farm to School Action Plan document must be submitted to FNS at the end of the grant period of performance.

Please note that the activities below are required for all Action Plan Project grantees.

Applicants must indicate in the proposal narrative that they will conduct all of the following https://www.fns.usda.gov/cfs/resources-farm-school-grant-program-applicants

9 | P a g e activities and provide a brief explanation of the steps they will take to conduct the activities, the responsible parties, and the proposed timeline. Applicants are encouraged to use the proposal narrative template provided in Section 4.2.1, where all activities are pre-populated for the applicant. Failure to respond to one or more of the below activities will result in a reduced score during review.

• Identify and regularly convene the farm to school planning team, with diverse leadership and membership that reflects the community served.

• Conduct an inclusive and comprehensive action planning process, which might include defining a vision and mission, conducting a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (S.W.O.T.) analysis, key informant interviews, attending trainings, visiting other farm to school programs, conducting pilots or trial runs, brainstorming activities, prioritizing activities. See the USDA Farm to School Planning Toolkit (https://www.fns.usda.gov/cfs/farm-school-planning-toolkit) for inspiration.

• Draft a plan that: identifies at least one need in the community that the project will address;

includes both local procurement and agricultural education activities, identifies any relevant State and/or local health and food safety requirements, and develops compliance strategies/procedures; determines how local foods will be incorporated at the eligible school(s) or service site(s); determines how delivery, processing, and storage of local foods will take place; determines how project partners will promote the farm to school program;

identifies diverse funding and other resources to ensure the project’s sustainability; and includes an evaluation plan.

• Gather input and/or feedback on the action plan from the broader community.

• Compile and share a final action plan that incorporates both local procurement and agricultural education components, and may include farm to school goals, activities, funding, timelines, evaluation strategies and partners.

More information on submitting a proposal is available in section 4.0. Please note that Action Plan project grantees are NOT expected to fully implement a comprehensive farm to school program by the end of the grant period, but rather are expected to have a plan in place for how to implement farm to school activities after the conclusion of the grant. The plan does not need to follow a specific format or contain specific elements, as long as it is useful to the community in implementing farm to school activities (both local procurement and agricultural education) in the months and years following the plan’s release.

• Turnkey Required Activities: Agricultural Education Curriculum Development and Delivery

The Agricultural Education Curriculum Development and Delivery project focuses on connecting students with their food and/or preparing them for careers in agriculture through thoughtful and relevant agricultural education. The below activities are required for applicants to the Agricultural Education Curriculum Development and Delivery project. Applicants must indicate in the proposal narrative that they will conduct all of the following activities and provide a brief explanation of how they will conduct the activities, responsible parties, and the proposed timeline. Applicants are encouraged to use the proposal narrative template provided in Section 4.2.2, where all activities are pre-populated for the applicant. Failure to respond to one or more of the below activities will result in a reduced score during review.

https://www.fns.usda.gov/cfs/farm-school-planning-toolkit https://www.fns.usda.gov/cfs/farm-school-planning-toolkit https://www.fns.usda.gov/cfs/farm-school-planning-toolkit

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• Establish a curriculum planning team, with diverse leadership and membership that reflects the community served.

• Establish a vision, goals, and objectives for the curriculum.

• Determine the desired outcomes and competencies to be achieved from the curriculum.

• Identify state standards connected to the curriculum.

• Identify the student population who will participate in the curriculum.

• Develop or procure the curriculum.

• Determine how the agricultural education curriculum will be integrated into participating schools, CACFP, and/or summer feeding program sites.

• Gather input and feedback on the curriculum from relevant stakeholders.

• Incorporate the agricultural education curriculum into school/site activities.

• Identify strategies for ensuring the curriculum remains integrated with school/site activities beyond the period of performance.

• Conduct an evaluation of the project.

More information on submitting a proposal is available in Section 4.0.

• Turnkey Required Activities: Edible Garden Project The Edible Garden Project focuses on developing or improving food-producing gardens based at schools and/or CACFP/SFSP sites. Please note, for the purposes of this opportunity, “Edible Garden” includes any food production operation based at an eligible school or CACFP/Summer site, including gardens, indoor grow towers, greenhouses, farms, aquaponics, livestock, etc. The below activities are required for applicants to the Turnkey grant for Edible Garden Projects.

Applicants must indicate in the proposal narrative that they will conduct all of the following activities and provide a brief explanation of how they will conduct the activities, responsible parties, and the proposed timeline. Applicants are encouraged to use the proposal narrative template provided in Section 4.2.3, where all activities are pre- populated for the applicant.

Failure to respond to one or more of the below activities will result in a reduced score during review.

• Establish or convene an edible garden team, with diverse leadership and membership that reflects the community served, including representation from school/site foodservice professionals.

• Establish a vision, goals, and objectives for the edible garden project, including how the project will increase access to local foods, how it will be used for agricultural education, and how it will be maintained and sustained beyond the grant project

• Identify and comply with any applicable Federal, State, and/or local regulations.

• Develop a garden food safety plan.

• Determine how processing, storage, and ultimate use of school garden foods will take place.

• Carryout the edible garden project including procuring supplies and installation.

• Conduct an evaluation of the project.

More information on submitting a proposal is available in Section 4.0.

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• Turnkey Required Activities: Producer Training The Producer Training project funds State agencies interested in developing the farm to school market for agricultural producers through training and technical assistance, using the Bringing the Farm to School: Agricultural Producers Training curriculum provided by USDA.

All State agencies are eligible for this project, but State agencies that do not administer Child Nutrition Programs (CNPs) must include a letter of commitment from the CNP-administering agency. No other entity type is eligible for this project. The below activities are required for applicants to the Producer Training project. Applicants must indicate in the proposal narrative that they will conduct all of the following activities and provide a brief explanation of how they will conduct the activities, responsible parties, and the proposed timeline. Applicants are encouraged to use the proposal narrative template provided in Section 4.2.4, where all activities are pre-populated for the applicant. Failure to respond to one or more of the below activities will result in a reduced score during review.

• Assemble a training team, with diverse leadership and membership that reflects the community served and including at least one member who attended a Regional Train-the- Trainer workshop hosted by FNS in 2021.

• Establish a target audience, training facilitators, and a plan for tailoring and conducting the Bringing the Farm to School: Agricultural Producers’ Training, including dates and locations.

• Conduct outreach and promote the Bringing the Farm to School: Agricultural Producers’ Training opportunity in your State.

• Host at least one Bringing the Farm to School: Agricultural Producers’ Training using the curriculum materials provided by FNS.

• Conduct an evaluation of your training according to the requirements in the USDA curriculum and using the survey tools provided.

More information on submitting a proposal is available in Section 4.0. Please note that State agencies are not eligible for any other Turnkey project.

1.3.3 Implementation Track and State Agency Track

The Implementation and State Agency tracks provide an opportunity for applicants to propose projects that support innovative, original ideas, and/or encompass a broader scope than the discrete projects and activities prescribed under the Turnkey track.

The NSLA limits the amount of funding per Farm to School Grant to $100,000. The FY 2022 President’s Budget requested an increase to this grant limit. Both the U.S. House and Senate appropriations bills provide this authority to make grants of up to $500,000 in FY 2022. In anticipation of this authority, FNS will accept applications for grants of up to $500,000 from State agencies, or eligible non-profit organizations proposing multi-state or national reach projects.

Making awards for competitive proposals that exceed $100,000 is pending, and subject to enactment of the required authority.

Please note that if awarded, grantees are required to report on progress towards completing the objectives and activities specified in their application using the FNS-908, Performance Progress https://www.farmtoschool.org/our-work/bringingf2s https://www.farmtoschool.org/our-work/bringingf2s

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Report form provided by FNS upon award.

Required Objective OCFS seeks proposals that align with the USDA Farm to School Grant Program goals. Proposed grant activities must support the following objective:

• Improve access to local foods in eligible schools through comprehensive farm to school programming that includes local procurement and agricultural education efforts.

If an applicant chooses to apply through the Implementation track or State Agency track, the proposed activities must support the above objective. Applicants for Implementation or State Agency grants must therefore clearly indicate in their proposal narrative how proposed activities align with the required objective. More information is available in Section 4.3.

Implementation Grants Applicants to the Implementation track may propose any combination of activities that align with the required Farm to School Grant Program objective stated above.

Examples of activities supported by Implementation grants include, but are not limited to:

• Conducting a State or regional farm to school institute;

• Bringing more unprocessed and value-added, minimally processed, regionally-sourced meal components into the cafeteria;

• Expanding farm to school programs beyond lunch to bring local products into the School

Breakfast Program, SFSP, or CACFP;

• Operating service projects that support farm to school initiatives in eligible schools;

• Incorporating food justice, food sovereignty, youth empowerment or other related efforts into farm to school programming;

• Readying producers to participate in the school food market by providing training on procurement regulations, Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and other food safety-related topics;

• Improving infrastructure to accommodate new local ingredients or local menu items;

• Providing technical support in the form of face-to-face trainings, consultations, webinars, etc.;

• Developing promotional campaigns in support of farm to school initiatives;

• Solving distribution bottlenecks that limit the feasibility of sourcing more regionally produced items by working closely with distributors or serving as a broker to develop business relationships between farmer(s), schools, and aggregation entities such as food hubs or food distributors;

• Encouraging increased consumption of fruits and vegetables through promotional activities, taste tests, and other activities featuring local products;

• Expanding experiential learning opportunities, such as creation of school gardens, developing school-based farmers markets, providing support to ag/food clubs, and/or increasing exposure to local farms and on-farm activities; and,

• Developing and implementing integrated curriculum to reinforce food and nutrition-based learning throughout the school environment or on a local farm(s).

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Please note that applicants interested in a limited project to conduct only Action Planning, Agricultural Education, or Edible Garden projects are recommended to apply using the Turnkey track.

State Agency Grants State Agency grants are intended to increase the amount of local food served in eligible facilities participating in CNPs by funding State agencies to support and grow farm to CNP efforts in their States. Eligible State agencies include any State-level agency working to promote farm to CNP activities in facilities participating in CNPs, such as State Departments of Education, Health, or Agriculture. The State agency does not need to administer the Child Nutrition Programs in order to be eligible for this track; however, the State agency applicant must include a letter of commitment from the relevant CNP-administering State agency. Eligible State agencies are not eligible for the Implementation track.

Eligible State agencies applying to the State Agency track may design any project or program that aims to make local food products available on the menu of the eligible CNP facility and incorporate experiential nutrition education activities that encourage the participation of children in farm and garden-based agricultural education activities. Please note that awarded State agencies are required to report data indicating progress towards completing their proposed activities. Applicants are encouraged to design projects that can be sustained after the end of the grant period.

In the Proposal Narrative, applicants must identify the required objective from Section 1.3.2 in the Project Work Plan Narrative section. Activities and indicators are required; however, applicants are encouraged to be creative and may include other activities not listed below as long as proposed activities align with the required objective. Please note that failure to identify the required objective will result in a reduced score during review.

Activities supported by State Agency grants may include, but are not limited to:

• Supporting a State or regional farm to school institute;

• Hosting a Bringing the Farm to School: Agricultural Producer Training as one component of a project containing other activities aligned with the required objective;

• Hiring staff to support statewide farm to school, farm to summer, and/or farm to CACFP efforts;

• Building, expanding, and/or regularly convening a network of key partners;

• Conducting an equity analysis of the agency’s farm to school efforts;

• Conducting or attending training specifically focused on equity in farm to school programming;

• Developing or enhancing State-level farm to school, farm to summer, and/or farm to CACFP strategic and/or evaluation plans;

• Offering training and technical assistance to Child Nutrition Program operators on local procurement, school gardens, equity in the food system, or agricultural education strategies;

• Developing a statewide farm to school marketing campaign or recognition program(s);

• Developing, implementing, or enhancing local procurement, garden, and/or agricultural education tracking systems;

• Facilitating peer-to-peer learning among program operators or with other States or agencies

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• Supporting the expansion, tracking, and marketing of local foods to school food authorities

(SFAs) through USDA Foods and USDA DOD Fresh programs;

• Hosting State or regional farm to Child Nutrition Program gatherings or buyer-grower meetings;

• Developing State-level curriculum, toolkits, templates, and resources featuring local foods, gardens, food sovereignty, and/or agricultural education;

• Administering sub-grants (mini-grants) to Child Nutrition Program operators within the

State to initiate or enhance their Farm to School, Farm to Summer, or Farm to CACFP programs.1

1.4 FY 2022 Funding Priorities

In addition to the general program purpose and priorities outlined in Section 1.1, USDA emphasizes the following priorities for FY 2022:

• Applications that serve a high proportion of children (at least 40 percent or more) who are eligible for free or reduced price meals.

• Applications from Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs) and eligible entities where the leader, and/or 80 percent of the board, and/or 50 percent of the staff are Native Americans and the proposed projects are serving Native American communities.

• Applications from eligible entities where the leader, and/or 80 percent of the board, and/or 50 percent of the staff are Black/African American, and the proposed projects are serving Black/African American communities.

• Applications from eligible entities where the leader, and/or 80 percent of the board, and/or 50 percent of the staff are people of color and the proposed projects are serving communities of color (defined as Black/African American, American Indian, Alaskan native, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, and/or Pacific Islander).

• Applications from small- to medium-sized agricultural producers or groups of small- to medium- sized agricultural producers. Please refer to the specific eligibility criteria in Section 3.0 for the definition of an eligible small- to medium-sized agricultural producer.

• Projects located in or targeting Opportunity Zones, as defined by 26 USC Subtitle A, CHAPTER 1, Subchapter Z: Opportunity Zones and identified in IRS Notice 2018-48, 2018–28 Internal Revenue Bulletin 9, July 9, 2018, and IRS Notice 2019-42, 2019–29 Internal Revenue Bulletin, July 15, 2019.

• In order to qualify for Opportunity Zone consideration, the proposed project must target at least one school or school district located in part or all of at least one Opportunity Zone. Applicants can check a list of Opportunity Zones at https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs- irbs/irb18-28.pdf. Applicants claiming the Opportunity Zone priority must provide the name(s) of the school(s) or school districts(s) or other eligible Child Nutrition Program institutions or sites the project will serve on the Farm to School Coversheet.

• Projects operating in and serving eligible schools/sites located in rural areas. For the

1 Recipients of sub-grants in the State Agency track may be any eligible entity for the FY 2021 Farm to School Grant.

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/opportunity-zones-frequently-asked-questions https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-irbs/irb18-28.pdf https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-irbs/irb18-28.pdf https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-irbs/irb18-28.pdf https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-irbs/irb19-29.pdf https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-irbs/irb19-29.pdf https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-%20irbs/irb18-28.pdf https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-irbs/irb18-28.pdf

15 | P a g e purposes of Farm to School Grants, rural is defined as an area where the school participating in the project, or the location of the site participating in the project is located in the attendance boundary of a school with a locality code of 41, 42, or 43 using the National Center for Education Statistics online tool to determine urban/rural classification, as described in Appendix B.

In selecting successful applicants, USDA, to the maximum extent practicable, will seek to ensure geographical diversity and equitable treatment of urban, rural, and Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) communities.

If an applicant’s project reaches one or more priority groups as outlined above and the applicant would like to be considered for an additional 10 bonus priority points to be added to the scoring of their application, please fill out the checklist included in Appendix D of this RFA, entitled “Fiscal Year 2022 Priority Group Declaration Checklist” and include the completed statement with the Project Narrative. The Priority Group Declaration Checklist does not count towards the narrative page limit.

Applicants that do not complete the Priority Group Declaration Checklist will not be eligible for consideration of these bonus points. If USDA is unable to verify information declared on the Priority Group Declaration Checklist, the applicant will not be eligible to receive bonus points.

2.0 Federal Award Information

2.1 Type of Federal Assistance

Funding of applications will be provided through the letter of credit process, upon receipt of a properly executed grant agreement and subject to the availability of funding. USDA expects to make funds available to the grantee in advance of need. The submission of an application does not guarantee funding. FNS may announce awards at different times.

The following information is intended to provide applicants with information to help applicants make informed decisions about proposal submissions.

• Total amount of funding expected to award: up to $12 Million

• Anticipated number of awards: 165

• Anticipated award announcement date: July 2022

• Expected amounts of individual Federal awards: vary by grant track

• Anticipated start dates and period of performance: July 2022

• Anticipated amounts and/or numbers of individual awards: vary by grant track

• Estimated funding per award: vary by grant track

• Application due date: Monday, January 10, 2022

Please note:

• Grant awards are subject to the availability of funding and/or appropriations of funds.

• FNS reserves the right to use this solicitation and competition to award additional grants this year or the subsequent fiscal year, should additional funds become available.

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2.2 Award Amounts and Period of Performance

Award amounts and periods of performance vary by grant track. Turnkey grant awards will range up to $50,000, with no minimum award amount. Implementation and State Agency grants will range from $50,000 - $500,000. While USDA sets specific Federal award amounts for each grant track, please note that the total project costs (comprised of the Federal award and the non-Federal match portion) may exceed these amounts. Applicants should anticipate grant requirements including start-up activities, execution, and closeout activities (final financial and program reports, accounting, etc.).

Applicants are expected to plan accordingly to achieve project deliverables within the award period.

The period of performance for the FY 2022 USDA Farm to School Grant Program will be as follows, beginning from the date of the award:

Grant Track Award Period Eligible Entities Award Amounts

Turnkey Grant (Action Plan and Edible Garden projects ONLY)

12 months Schools or institutions that participate in CACFP, SFSP, NSLP, and/or the National School Breakfast Program; local agencies; ITOs; agricultural producers; and non-profit entities

Up to $50,000

Turnkey Grant (Agricultural Education Curriculum project ONLY)

12 or 24 months Schools or institutions that participate in CACFP, SFSP, NSLP, and/or the National School Breakfast Program; local agencies; ITOs; agricultural producers; and non-profit entities

Up to $50,000

Turnkey grant (Producer Training project ONLY)

12 or 24 months State agencies (Departments of Education, Agriculture, Health, etc.)

Up to $50,000

Implementation grants 12 or 24 months Schools or institutions that participate in CACFP, SFSP, NSLP, and/or the National School Breakfast Program; local agencies; ITOs; agricultural producers; and non-profit entities

$50,000 - $100,000

24 months Non-profit entities operating multi-state or national projects

>$100,000 - $500,000

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State Agency grants 12 or 24 months

State agencies (Departments of Education, Agriculture, Health, etc.)

$50,000 - $100,000

24 months State agencies (Departments of Education, Agriculture, Health, etc.)

>$100,000 - $500,000

Applicants may not choose any grant period other than 12 months or 24 months. All grant funds must be obligated, and all program activities under the grant (other than activities relating to the closeout of the grant) must be completed by the end of the award period. The closeout of the grant must occur no later than 90 days following the end of the award period, and all obligations incurred under the grant must be liquidated by this date. Any grant funds that are not used within 90 days following the end of the award period must be returned to USDA. In addition, final reports are due to USDA no later than 90 days following the end of the award period. For Action Plan Turnkey grantees, the Farm to School Action Plan is due no later than 90 days following the end of the award period.

2.3 Allowable Costs

Among other costs, budgets may include expenses related to personnel, contractors, equipment and supplies, meeting expenses, travel, and trainings. Please see Appendix C for more information about allowable costs. Financial requirements will be provided in the Terms and Conditions upon award.

Equipment and Supplies: Expenditures for both equipment (i.e., items of personal property having a useful life of more than one year and a cost of $5,000 or more such as walk-in freezers, coolers, processing equipment, hoop houses, and ovens) and supplies (e.g., knives, cutting boards, gardening or farming supplies, and food processors) are allowable expenses. Salad bars are also an allowable expense.

Equipment and supplies purchased using Farm to School Grant Program funds must be used during the grant period for the sole purpose of accomplishing the stated project objective. If purchased equipment or supplies are not fully dedicated to the grant project objective, including beyond the grant period end date, the applicant must determine what percentage of the good’s time or space will be dedicated to project activities. This percentage must then be applied to the value of the good in order to determine the amount of Federal funds that can be used to purchase said good. Please make sure to follow proper equipment disposition requirements as per 2CFR 200.313 (https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2017-title2-vol1/pdf/CFR-2017-title2-vol1-sec200- 313.pdf).

For example:

• Purchase large walk-in freezer that will store local foods for Child Nutrition Program but will also store food for the community food pantry.

• Walk-in Freezer total cost: $8,000

• 25% of freezer space used to store food that will be served in the Child Nutrition Programs https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2017-title2-vol1/pdf/CFR-2017-title2-vol1-sec200-313.pdf

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• $8,000 x 25% = $2,000 (amount of Federal funds that can used to make this purchase)

Food Expenses: No more than 10 percent of the federal share of grant funds may be used for food purchases, and the use must be clearly delineated in the grant budget. The ultimate goal of funded projects should be to make local food products available on menus long-term; therefore, purchasing local products should not be a primary use of grant funds. Food purchases should be limited to educational purposes only, such as: farm to school sample tables, taste tests, or promotional use.

Food costs related to conducting a test offering of a new local or regional product are also deemed an appropriate use of funds. Any food purchase, as well as any expenditures associated with food purchases, must be clearly identified within the submitted budget narrative. Grant funds may NOT be used to purchase meals or snacks for training or meeting attendees.

Partnerships: Partners essential to the proposed project and partners may require funding from USDA to participate in the proposed project. These funds may be included in applicant budgets as sub-grantees or line item contractors. Please be sure to describe the specific services provided by the partner and provide a rationale for the partner(s)’ services in both the Project Narrative and Budget Narrative. Please see the Section 4.4 for more information.

2.4 Match Requirements and Cost Sharing

For all grant types, Federal funds should constitute no more than 75 percent of the total project budget. Applicants may not use any federal funds as the source of any part of their match. The grant recipient must show evidence of matching support of at least 25 percent of the total budget in the form of cash or in-kind contributions, including facilities, equipment, or services provided by State and local governments, non-profit organizations, and private sources as defined in The Richard B.

Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.). Failure to show evidence of matching support of at least 25 percent of the total budget will result in removal of an application from consideration for award.

Federal Funds (no more than 75% of total) + Match funds (No less than 25% of total) = Project total

Sample Match Grant Request: $100,000 Match Amount: $35,000 Total Project Cost: $135,000 Match Percent: 26% (match ÷ total project cost) USDA Percent: 74% (grant request ÷ total project cost)

In-kind contributions are generally defined as the value of goods or services provided by a third-party for the benefit of the grant program, where no funds transferred hands. Applicants may not use Federal funds of any kind, including Federal food service funds, as a match for this grant program. The host agency contribution to support AmeriCorps and FoodCorps service member stipends, is unallowable as a match because both AmeriCorps and FoodCorps are federally funded programs. The match contributions reflected in the submitted grant proposal must be documented, including the basis for the value determination, as well as be reasonable, allocable, and allowable under the criteria

19 | P a g e for this grant award.

Matching funds may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs. For example, the value of buildings and/or property are unallowable costs for the Farm to School Grant, and therefore unallowable as a source of matching funds. Additional information about allowable and unallowable costs is available in Appendix C. The basis for determining the value of cash and in-kind contributions must be in accordance with 2 CFR 200.306 (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2014-title2-vol1/xml/CFR-2014-title2-vol1-sec200-306.xml). A sample match calculation can be found in Section 4.4.1.

All applicants are required to submit signed match letters verifying matching funds for each cash and/or in-kind resource. Match letters are considered separate from letters of commitment described in Sections 3.1 and 4.5, and match letters are not subject to the three-document limit that applies to letters of commitment. An applicant must include a signed letter verifying matching funds for every cash and/or in-kind match resource included in the budget.

The grantee must maintain written records to support all allowable costs claimed as being a match contribution, as well as costs paid by the Federal Government. In the event the grantee does not provide the minimum amount of cost share, as described in the budget, the Government’s contribution will be reduced in proportion to the grantee’s contribution. These requirements will be described in more detail in the Terms and Conditions provided upon award.

3.0 Eligibility Information

The following are eligible entities, which are described in more detail below:

• Institutions, including schools, school districts that operate the National School Lunch and/or Breakfast Program(s), and non-school based institutions that have an agreement with the State agency to operate CACFP and/or SFSP;

• State agencies;

• Local agencies;

• Indian tribal organizations;

• Agricultural producers or groups of agricultural producers; and

• Non-profit entities.

Entity type must be clearly indicated and unambiguous in all application materials. If USDA cannot determine the applicant to be an eligible entity based on information contained within the application, the applicant may be subject to removal from consideration.

Eligible schools and Institutions…