MI Farm to School Grant Program - Applications due May 16th!

(Apologies for cross posting)

 

Michigan Farm to School Grant Program – Applications Due Monday, May 16^th!

 

Food service directors must often work through numerous challenges to start or expand farm to school programs. The goal of the MI Farm to School Grant Program is to help overcome some of these challenges, and initiate and expand farm to school programs across the state.

 

With funding from the WK Kellogg Foundation, the MI Farm to School Grant Program will award a total of 15 Michigan K-12 schools/districts with funds ($2,000 maximum each) to plan for or implement farm to school programs. The grant year is September 1, 2011 – June 1, 2012.

 

·         The MI Farm to School Planning Grant will help schools plan for integrating fresh, local foods into cafeterias AND ultimately develop a Farm to School Action Plan to implement a farm to school program after the grant year.

·         The MI Farm to School Implementation Grant will help schools put existing farm to school plans into action AND ultimately develop a Farm to School Sustainability Plan to keep a farm to school program going and growing in future years.

Eligibility:

·         The school food service program must have at least 50% free and reduced-price meal enrollment at the time this application is completed. A goal of this program is to help vulnerable children find more healthy and local food choices in school meals programs.

 

·         Only school food service/nutrition directors can apply for their school district(s) or school(s). Food service directors from a school district may choose to focus on a few school buildings or an entire school district’s food service program, but the district must have 50% free and reduced price meal enrollment. Private or charter schools may apply as an individual school.

·         Only one application for either the planning or implementation grant (not both) is allowed per district or private/charter school per grant year. 

 

Please review the application materials and sample grant applications attached for more information. You can also find these materials on our website at http://www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu/index.php?id=48. 

 

To be reviewed, complete applications must be received by 5 pm EST on Monday, May 16^th, 2011. Email completed application as an attachment to Jekeia Murphy at stilljek@msu.edu.

 

 

Best,

 

Colleen Matts

Farm to Institution Specialist

CS Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems

Michigan State University

303 Natural Resources Building

East Lansing, MI 48824-1222

517.432.0310

www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu