December 2022

The Farm to School and Early Childhood Education Program is committed to providing equitable and just programming, resources, funding, and technical assistance to schools, farmers, and partners in the local food system. 

Welcome New State Local Procurement Manager!

We are excited to introduce Lindsey Cartwright who recently joined the Arkansas Department of Agriculture's Farm to School and Early Childhood Education Program team as the State Local Procurement Manager! Lindsey will provide technical assistance to school food service programs and farms, develop farm to school resources, host local procurement webinars and trainings, and lead the Arkansas Taste Test Grant Program and Harvest of the Season promotional program. Welcome, Lindsey!

Lindsey grew up on a small farm outside of St. Louis, Missouri and graduated from the College of the Ozarks with a bachelor's degree in agronomy and agricultural business. She attended Southern Illinois University - Carbondale (SIU) earning her master's degree in vegetable science. During her time at SIU, Lindsey managed the Student Sustainable Vegetable Farm where she taught students how to sustainably raise and market vegetables on campus and provided a variety of hands-on workshops related to gardening and vegetable production. Lindsey is passionate about agricultural advocacy and education, specialty crop production, and local food. She is excited to share her knowledge and experience with Arkansas producers and schools. 

Reach Lindsey via email at [email protected].

Apply Now for Arkansas Farm to School Grants

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for the annual Arkansas School Garden Grant and Arkansas Taste Test Grant Programs to help schools start or expand farm to school activities. The grant programs are available to public and private K-12 schools, early childhood education facilities, and alternative learning environments. All eligible schools are encouraged to apply whether they already have existing farm to school activities or they are just getting started with school gardens and taste tests.

Applications for both grants will be accepted through December 15, 2022. More information about the Arkansas School Garden Grant Program and Arkansas Taste Test Grant Program can be found here or by contacting Erica Benoit at [email protected].

Farm to School Opportunities

Webinar: Music in the Garden

January 18, 2023, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. Central Time

This webinar will demonstrate how to incorporate multi-sensory musical experiences into your school garden curriculum. Symon Hajjar of Hot Toast Music Co. will share songs and lesson ideas, lead activities, and facilitate discussion about how to take advantage of learning opportunities in a garden. You should gain a fresh perspective on teaching, practical tips and tricks for working with different age groups, and a host of creative musical ideas to try out with your classes. You will even find out how to turn vegetables into real instruments! The session will be interactive and cover a wide array of topics connected to teaching from the garden including: composting, entomology, how to plant a seed, the food web, and more.

Arkansas School Garden Grant Program

Amount: $500

Deadline: December 15

The Arkansas School Garden Grant Program was established in 2020 to help schools start or expand gardens on school grounds. The grant program was developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program to increase production of specialty crops in school gardens. The Arkansas Department of Agriculture awards grants to public and private K-12 schools, early childhood education facilities, and alternative learning environments to purchase soil, specialty crop seeds and plants, and gardening equipment to support their school garden. Applicants are welcome to apply for both this grant program and the Arkansas Taste Test Grant Program within the same application.

Arkansas Taste Test Grant Program

Amount: $250

Deadline: December 15

The Arkansas Taste Test Grant Program was established to help schools lead cafeteria taste tests of locally grown specialty crops. The grant program was developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program to increase production and consumption of specialty crops in schools. The Arkansas Department of Agriculture awards grants to public and private K-12 schools, early childhood education facilities, and alternative learning environments to purchase kitchen equipment and utensils, serving materials, and specialty crop seeds and plants to support taste tests. Applicants are welcome to apply for both this grant program and the Arkansas School Garden Grant Program within the same application.

USDA 2023 Farm to School Grant Program Request for Applications

Amount: $50,000 - $500,000

Deadline: January 6, 2023

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will award up to $12 million in competitive grants to eligible entities through the Farm to School Grant Program in Fiscal Year 2023. Each grant helps implement farm to school programs that increase access to local food in eligible schools, connect children with agriculture for better health, and inspire youth to consider careers in agriculture. The request for application (RFA) includes three tracks - implementation, state agency, and turnkey - to support a variety of projects and implementation stages. A wide variety of entities are eligible to compete for funding through this grant opportunity.