FY27 MA Farming Reinforces Education and Student Health (FRESH) Grant

FY27 MA Farming Reinforces Education and Student Health (FRESH) Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Amount: US $3,000 - US $40,000
Last Updated: March 13, 2026

Summary

Overview

Note: Competitive grant applications are considered submitted when the grant application is submitted by the Superintendent or their designee through the "LEA Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved" step in GEM$. In order to be considered for competitive funding, applicants must submit a grant application through the LEA Superintendent Approved stage by the due date and time indicated above for Full Proposal.All RFQ questions must be received by email no later than the date indicated above for Letter of Inquiry. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education provides leadership, oversight, funding, support, and accountability for the Commonwealth's approximately 400 school districts that educate close to 1 million public school children each year. We also oversees programs that serve 20,000 adult learners each year. MA Farming Reinforces Education and Student Health (FRESH) Purpose The purpose of this state funded competitive grant program is to encourage National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and Child Adult Food Care Program (CACFP) sponsors to start or expand their capacity to grow or procure local food and educate students, teachers, school nutrition professionals and staff about the local food system. Furthermore, this grant seeks to connect food system education to the availability of local foods served in school or early education meal programs through strategic planning and investment in internal staff positions and/or external partnerships. Funding Applicant proposals must be submitted in one of the following categories. Only one application will be accepted per Child Nutrition Program sponsor. Sponsors of both the NSLP and CACFP may only submit one application for consideration. Applicants may apply for funding in one of the five following categories: New K–12 Farm to School Initiative Grants New Farm to Early Education Initiative Grants ["New" farm to school/early education initiatives engage in none or only one of the farm to school three "C's": Classroom (such as curriculum and school garden engagement), Cafeteria (such as local menu offerings) and Community (such as farm field trips or non-profit food system partnerships). Applicants that have been dormant in all farm to school activities for the last three years also qualify as "new."] Expanding K–12 Farm to School Initiative Grants Expanding Farm to Early Education Initiative Grants MA FRESH CORP Planning Grant Fund Use The program is designed to support K–12 and early education programs in food literacy initiatives that connect local food system education to the availability of local foods served in school or early education meal programs. Applicants will be asked to indicate all activities their MA FRESH application seeks to fund. Project activities may include, but are not limited to: Building a new garden for children Building a new indoor growing operation for children Developing classroom curriculums or lesson plans that support food literacy efforts Expanding in-school or child care programming to promote food literacy for children through gardening, cooking, taste tests and more Field trip(s) to local farm/food producers Expanding before/after school/child care programming that supports food literacy, and exposure to local foods for children and families Completing farm to school strategic planning, including the development of an action plan, job description(s) for food literacy coordination, or a scope of work for a contractor to cultivating program structures that elevate internal staff capacity in food literacy Professional development and training for educators to bring food literacy activities or curriculum to their classrooms Professional development and training for school nutrition professionals to integrate local, unprocessed or minimally processed ingredients into program mealsFunds can only be used to fund new staff time or salaries because of new or expanded initiatives.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Eligible MA FRESH applicants include licensed early education programs and Sponsoring Organizations of Family Day Care providers that provide meals through CACFP and provide programming to children birth to age five years old, as well as schools or school districts that offer meals through NSLP that serve students anywhere between Pre-Kindergarten and 12th grade. Applicants that have received MA FRESH or MA FRESH CORP grant funding in the past are eligible to apply, however, current and former MA FRESH CORP awardees are ineligible to apply for the MA FRESH CORP Planning Grant Track of this RFP. Family Day Care providers participating in CACFP are not directly eligible for MA FRESH. Only Sponsoring Organizations are eligible to apply on behalf of a Family Day Care or a collection of Family Day Cares. Only one application will be considered per Child Nutrition Program sponsor. Sponsors of both the NSLP and CACFP may only submit one application for consideration.The impact of grant activities must be associated with the location where NSLP/CACFP meals are served. Eligibility to receive MA FRESH funds is contingent on the applicant's good standing within the Office for Food and Nutrition Programs, including former responsible stewardship of Office for Food and Nutrition Programs grant funding.

Ineligibility

Funds cannot be used to purchase food served as part of a reimbursable meal in Child Nutrition Programs or sold as a competitive food and beverage or fundraiser. Grant awards may not be used to fund existing activities, projects or staff positions (including current Farm to School Coordinators).