Vermont Agency of Agriculture and Vermont Department of Health
VT Farm to School Grant Program / Deadline May 312013
This grant program is made possible by collaboration between the Vermont Agencies of Agriculture and Education and Vermont Department of Health / Network Development Grant Request for Proposals
Given the success of the Vermont Farm to School grant program since 2007, we are seeing an increase in school districts and non-profit organizations working regionally across school programming to build and sustain Farm to School programs. To support that work, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture and Department of Health are dedicating funds to network development of Farm to School. The goals of this funding are to grow and sustain Farm to School programming at partnering schools, increase shared learning experiences among schools, capture snapshots of activity in each of the regions and work in a more coordinated way on the state level to gather data, and document success. This Grant Program will not fund individual schools, but districts or regional programs improving networks across multiple schools to advance Farm to School in the region. A core goal of Vermont’s Farm to School work is the Vermont 3 C’s model of Farm to School; integrate local foods in cafeterias, classroom and communities with the goals of: sustainable programs that serve food to Vermont students that is as fresh and nutritious as possible; maximize the use of fresh, locally grown, produced and processed foods; educate students about healthy eating habits through nutrition education, including using hands-on techniques to make the connections between farming and the foods that students consume; increase the size and stability of farmers’ direct sales market; and increase school meal participation by increasing the local foods available to students.
Applicants can apply to provide Farm to School program support across three or more schools in Vermont and create learning opportunities for members of the VT Farm to School network. Learning opportunities should include lessons learned from program implementation, including program evaluation, partnership and sustainable funding models.
Each funded applicant will work within their region to advance Farm to School and model regional achievements for the statewide network. Applicants will attend no less than two VT Farm to School Network Leadership Group meetings, two conference calls between grant recipients and one learning opportunity for the Vermont Farm to School Network. Learning opportunities could include workshop, webinar, conference call or content for the VT Farm to School Network website. The goal of the Vermont Farm to School Network is to have a vibrant Farm to School program in every Vermont community by 2020.
The Vermont Farm to School Regional Network Development Grant
A school district, consortium of schools, or organization must apply to provide Farm to School Program support to advance Farm to School in any of the following areas:
· Develop language for school wellness or food service contracts to ensure the sustainability of Farm to School programming at the school, district or state level.
· Integrating food and farm education in school curriculum, including hands on learning opportunities such as school gardens or farm visits.
· Implementing food and farm education or outreach in school cafeterias.
· Integrating Farm to School programming in afterschool or summer programs.
· Sustaining Farm to School programming through community engagement, partnerships and fundraising.
· Impacting food choices for community members beyond students, such as staff and parents.
Applicants Must:
· Provide coordination, collaboration, and evaluation to advance regional Farm to School programming and procurement practices.
· Provide regional or statewide learning opportunity for members of the VT Farm to School Network to advance Farm to School statewide.
The maximum amount of a regional program development grant award will be $10,000. These are competitive grants. $40,000 is available for the 2013-2014 grant cycle through the VT Agency of Agriculture with support from the Department of Health with funding provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Community Transformation Grant. 100% of these grant funds are designated for rural areas and schools reaching a high percent of low income students. Schools and organizations within Chittenden County and parts of Franklin and Grand Isle Counties are not eligible for funding (for more detail regarding eligible areas, please contact Todd Perry at ). School districts or school applicants must demonstrate 25% of total requested in matching funds or in-kind time while non-profit organizations must demonstrate 50% of total requested in matching funds or in-kind.
Grant Eligibility
A school district, consortium of schools or organization may apply for this competitive grant. Applicants must demonstrate Farm to School experience at the majority of participating schools. An individual school may apply on behalf of a consortium of schools but must clearly demonstrate collaboration and multi-school benefits. Applicants with strong community, farm and organizational collaboration beyond the school community will be given preferential treatment. Preference will be given to applicants reaching schools with a high percent of students eligible for free and reduced meals.
Grant recipients are required to attend no less than two VT Farm to School Network Leadership Group meetings, two conference calls between grant recipients and one learning opportunity for members of the Vermont Farm to School Network. Learning opportunities could include workshop, webinar, conference call or content for the VT Farm to School Network website. Applicants are highly encouraged to attend Network meetings/events held throughout the year. These state-level meetings are intended to further develop the Vermont Farm to School Network, share success stories, provide feedback on the regional Farm to School process, and guide future funding and research priorities. Grant recipients must also complete a final report before June 30, 2014 and utilize the Vermont Farm to School Evaluation Toolkit to collect data from each participating school. The Vermont Agency of Agriculture will provide sample reporting materials and forms when grants are awarded. The final report will include a description of grant activities, grant evaluation and a summary of expenditures. Grant recipients may apply for additional funding in May of 2014 based on outcomes of an interim report and submission of an application. Funding for this grant program is contingent on funding and may be available for up to three years. Annual Funding amount and priorities may change based on results.
Completing the Application
The full application is provided below. Project proposals will be reviewed by an advisory panel which will include representatives from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets, the Vermont Department of Health, Vermont Farm to School Network, and other stakeholders. Applicants will be notified of funding decisions within 4 weeks after the deadline. Successful applicants will need to submit an invoice and signed grant agreements with the VAAFM before funds can be disbursed.
1. COMPLETE the Cover Page and Signature Page.
2. TYPE the project summary, narrative response, and budget sections.
Please attach in an email a completed application as a PDF, including a scanned signature page as one document to . If you are unable to email - mail the application with original signatures to:
Vermont Agency of Agriculture
Subject: VT Farm to School Grant Program
116 State Street; Montpelier, VT 05620-2901
Application Deadline
Received or postmarked by
4:30 p.m. May 31, 2013
Application assistance: Applications can be found by contacting Faith Raymond at VAAFM at 802-828-1619 or .
All grant applications must include:
□ Cover page
□ Signature page
□ Project summary (limited to one paragraph; separate page)
□ Narrative responses (not to exceed three pages)
□ Budget (one page maximum; separate page)
□ Appropriate attachments
□ All responses must be typed, 11-point font, single-spaced with 1” margins
Applications that do not follow these guidelines will not be reviewed.
Cover Page
Programmatic Contact Information:
Name of Lead School, School District, or Organization / # of Schools ServedGrade Levels Served / Number of Students (total)
Contact Name / Title
Mailing Address
Telephone / E-mail
Fiscal Agent Contact Information:
Fiscal Agent & Federal ID #Contact Name / Title
Mailing Address
Telephone / E-mail
List of Participating Schools
School Name / School District / Grades Served / # of Students / Free & Reduced Rate*1
2
3
4
5
6
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
*The Vermont Agency of Education, Child Nutrition Program’s Annual Report on The Percentage of Students Eligible for Free and Reduced Price School Meals
Scoring preference will be given to applicants reaching schools with higher free and reduced rates.
Additional schools can be listed on reverse side or typed lists with correct categories in chart form can also be provided.
Farm-To-School Regional Network Development Grant Narrative Questions
1. Project Summary: 5 points (Include this as a separate page, not to be counted as part of the three-page narrative question responses.)
Provide a one paragraph overview of your proposal. Include, in one sentence, your overall project goal(s) (e.g. "The goal of this project is to integrate Farm to School into summer and afterschool programs in the (blank) Supervisory Union."). Be sure to describe why you want to do this and how this fits with the goals of all schools involved. Describe benefits of this project to your community. This is a broad and general statement of what you want to accomplish.
2. Need and Readiness: 15 points
Clearly describe your community (e.g. # of involved schools, # of students and staff, brief community profile, range of free and reduced lunch rates, local farms and agricultural resources) and the specific needs that this project will address. Describe existing Farm to School work with participating schools and/or organizations and how Farm to School programming has been sustained within this community. Demonstrate past achievements across participating schools and community partners such as local food businesses, community organizations, area health providers or other relevant partners. Identify any state level collaboration or demonstrated leadership. “Make the case” for why your school district or region is ready to integrate Farm to School across all participating schools.
Additional points will be given to schools reaching a high percent of free and reduced eligible students. Please see above for ineligible areas.
3. Objectives, Activities and Timelines: 20 points
This part needs to be specific, but not necessarily lengthy. Restate your project goal(s). Provide clear objectives that specifically describe what you hope to accomplish and by when. Describe your expected objectives, activities planned, and anticipated timeframes to accomplish activities. Along with program activities include outreach and learning opportunities for members of the VT Farm to School Network.
The objectives should be based on the needs and readiness in the area and should align with the overarching goal (most projects have 2-4 objectives).
The activities are tasks, events, “to-do’s” that should directly link to an objective and should demonstrate ongoing Farm to School activities.
The timeline should include anticipated dates of completion for activities and partners responsible for tasks.
The completion deadline for this grant is approximately 12 months which is a short timeframe with start date of July 1, 2013 an end date of June 30, 2014 so depending on the readiness be sure to identify attainable objectives. Programming support areas where you have had past success or have identified as a crucial to your region’s growth are highly encouraged.
Reviewers are looking for how activities build on each other and are working toward greater/systematic change that will ensure the sustainability of Farm to School across all participating schools. Groups should demonstrate how activities will not only support Farm to School within their region but will also result in documentation of successful Farm to School program implementation. This documentation will be shared at the state level and serve to further define the Farm to School components that lead to sustainable programs and behavior change.
4. Collaboration and Coordination: 15 points
Farm to School initiatives have greater impact when implemented in a coordinated and collaborative fashion. Identify who in your school district or organization and greater community will be responsible for coordinating activities to accomplish your goal(s).
· Specifically identify your agricultural and/or local food connections and community partners.
· Describe how these partners will work together to further the regional Farm to School priorities.
· Describe how this project aligns or cooperates with school and/or community wellness initiatives.
· Please, identify no more than two individuals that will represent your work during state level meetings.
· Specifically identify their role within your local group and what they will bring to a state level shared learning experience.
5. Program Documentation: 15 points
The regional network development grants provide 11 months of funding. However, the goal is to create lasting change across Vermont. Describe how your school consortium, district or organization will use this funding to document and share your program implementation through the offering of a learning opportunity for members of the Vermont Farm to School Network. Describe the content and outreach method for members of the VT Farm to School Network. Will you offer a webinar, workshop at state or regional meetings or conferences, conference call with members or content for the Vermont Farm to School Network website?
6. Program Evaluation: 15 points
Evaluation is a crucial component in assessing program feasibility and sustainability. Tell us the crucial components of your program support that you will evaluate and how. You may find it helpful to utilize the Vermont Farm to School Evaluation Toolkit which provides pre and post surveys for educators, students and food service as well as monthly local food purchase tracking. The toolkit will provide basic metrics for student knowledge and preference for local food, amount of local food purchased through the school lunch programs, student activities and challenges and barriers faced by educators and food service staff. Evaluation support is also offered through the VT Farm to School Grant Program.
You will also need to record that you met your goal, and how. Other tools used to record and collect evidence can take the form of (but are not limited to): video, pictures with narration, taste test surveys and feedback. Describe your own evaluation plan and how you will integrate the evaluation toolkit into this plan.