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USDA Farm to School Grant Opportunity

Submitted by tim on

USDA Food and Nutrition Farm to School Grant Opportunity

Vermont Business Magazine USDA’s annual farm-to-school grant, championed by Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy, is now open for applications. This competitive grant program is designed to improve access to local foods and increase agricultural and nutrition literacy. The list of eligible applicants is broad and includes schools, non-profits, local agencies, agricultural producers, and more.

There are several grant tracks to choose from, including turnkey grants that offer simple pre-designed projects built around model program designs. Applications for projects led by and/or designed to support BIPOC are being prioritized in this year’s grant round. Awards of up to $500,000 are available depending on the grant track and applicants must show matching support, either in cash or in-kind services, equal to 25% of the total project budget.

The deadline to apply is January 10 at 11:59 p.m.

Learn More About the USDA Farm to School Grant
Farm to Plate Network-Wide Exchange

Join Farm to Plate for the first meeting with the new network structure! This meeting will be an open forum for organizations to give updates, hear from others, and bring to light key developments, opportunities, and challenges, and in doing so, improve communication, awareness, and connection across food system issue areas in Vermont.

Additionally, the congressional delegation staff from Farm to Plate will provide an update, and will likely get more detail on infrastructure investment, Build Back Better bill status, Farm Bill, and any other federal updates pertinent to food and agriculture. Email Beret for Zoom meeting information.

Virtual Meeting: Dec. 16 @ 3 p.m.
VT Farm Show Exhibitor and Sponsor Registration

The Vermont Farm Show offers a unique opportunity to showcase your business to agricultural producers, processors, and other agricultural professionals who are drawn to the show for ideas, education, and networking. Exhibiting is a great opportunity to gain exposure, build brand awareness, and expand your customer base.

Exhibitor and sponsor spaces are filling up fast, but the Vermont Farm Show Organizing is still looking for businesses involved in the food and agriculture economy to participate at the 2022 Vermont Farm Show, to be held in person at the Champlain Valley Expo in Essex Junction, VT, February 1st through the 3rd.

Registration Deadline: Jan. 3

NE-DBIC is Seeking an Event Contractor

The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC), hosted by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets, is looking for an event management contractor to handle logistics for a NE-DBIC educational trip to Missouri in spring 2022. The contractor will coordinate travel logistics, communications, and funds management for 30+ participating dairy farmers and technical service providers. The contractor is not required to be onsite for the trip but will need to be available to NE-DBIC to troubleshoot issues during the event, as needed.

Proposals Due: Dec. 21 @ 11:59 p.m.
Vermont Grazing and Livestock Conference

Join the Center for Sustainable Agriculture, the VT Grass Farmers Association and an enthusiastic group of farmers and agricultural resource providers for a deep dive into topics specific to raising pasture-based livestock in the Northeast at the 26th annual Grazing and Livestock Conference. The three day conference highlights plenty of new ideas to take home and ruminate on as you plan for the 2022 season.

The cost to attend the virtual 2022 conference starts at $20.

Virtual Conference: Jan. 20-22
View the VAAFM Grants Calendar
Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets

https://agriculture.vermont.gov