November 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. 

Applications Now Open 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].

2022 Arkansas Grown School Garden of the Year Winners Announced

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture and Farm Credit Associations of Arkansas recently announced the 2022 Arkansas Grown School Garden of the Year contest winners at the Arkansas Farm to School Month celebration last month. Congratulations to the 10 winning schools on this achievement! 

• Best Start-up School Garden Proposal, $500 Awards: Lee Senior High School (Lee County) and Wonderview Elementary School (Conway County)
• Best Education Based School Garden, $500 Awards: Nettleton STEAM (Craighead County) and Conway High School (Faulkner County)
• Best Harvest Partnership School Garden, $500 Awards: Crestwood Elementary (Pulaski County) and Chicot Elementary & Early Childhood Center (Pulaski County)
• Best Community Collaboration School Garden, $500 Awards: Arch Ford/Synergy ALE (Garland and Saline Counties) and Ward Central Elementary (Lonoke County)
• Best Overall School Garden, $1,000 Award: Pinnacle View Middle School (Pulaski County)
• Champion of School Garden Sustainability, $1,000 Award: Sheridan Elementary School (Grant County)

Find the official press release announcing this year's winners here.



Watch the announcement video here!

Farm to School Opportunities

Webinar: Farm to School in the Winter Months

November 10, 2022, 2:15 - 3:45 p.m. Central Time

Join educators from Shelburne Farms in Vermont to learn ways to incorporate farm to school in the winter months when the gardens and bees are "sleeping." The workshop will provide activities and resources for K-6 educators to utilize for engaging students in farm to school during the winter.

FOLCS: Food Operators and Leaders of Color in Schools

FoodCorps created the BIMPOC (Black, Indigenous, Multiracial, and People of Color) School Nutrition Leadership Network for staff of color who work in school nutrition to connect around leadership development, mentorship, and community. They are now relaunching this community with a new name: FOLCS (pronounced "folks) in an effort to provide a supportive community where school nutrition professionals of color feel seen, heard, and valued. Participants will have access to career development workshops, a year-long mentorship program, virtual networking opportunities, and an invite-only LinkedIn group to connect with peers. There is no cost to join or participate, and the network is open to all Black, Indigenous, Multiracial, and People of Color who work in school food.

Arkansas Environmental Education Mini-Grant

Amount: Up to $500

Deadline: November 11, 2022

The Arkansas Environmental Education Association is seeking proposals of up to $500 to support, enhance, and expand the implementation of environmental and outdoor education throughout the state of Arkansas by classroom teachers and non-formal educators and organizations. Grants will fund projects that include, but are not limited to, direct hands-on education programs, educator professional development, and community engagement events. Projects previously funded have also included school gardening.

Youth Garden Grant

Amount: $500 in funding and gardening supplies

Deadline: December 2, 2022

KidsGardening will award Youth Garden Grants to a total of 50 programs in 2023. These organizations will be awarded $500 in funding and a collection of gardening supplies for their youth garden program. Any organization in the United States (U.S.) or U.S. Territories planning a new or improving an existing garden program that serves at least 15 youths between the ages of 0 and 18 is eligible to apply. Previous Youth Garden Grant winners are not eligible.

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.

Join the USDA for two webinars to review important details of the FY 2023 Farm to School Grant Request for Applications (RFA):



• Tuesday, November 8, 2022, 1:30 p.m. Central Time: Getting Familiar with the FY 2023 Farm to School RFA. Register here.
• Wednesday, November 9, 2022, 1:30 p.m. Central Time: Getting Your Grant Package Together. Register here.

Little Tree Huggers

Amount: $500

Deadline: Rolling applications

One Tree Planted empowers kids to stand up for the future of the planet by accepting proposals from 5-12 year olds throughout the United States and Canada to support their environmental projects. If the youth's project is selected, they will receive up to $500 in grant funding to cover the costs of the project to include purchasing materials or registration fees, etc. Project ideas include building a mini-nursery, starting a food waste program, planting a garden, starting a compost program, collecting seeds, etc. Applications are evaluated on a bi-weekly, rolling basis throughout the year.