Vermont Awards $1 Million in Farm to School Grants

Grants assist schools, childcare programs, and non-profit organizations to connect youth with agriculture and local food

June 5, 2026 | Montpelier, VT - The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets announce 34 grant awards totaling $1,000,000 to schools, early childhood programs, and Farm to School service providers in Fiscal Year 2026.

The award categories are:

• Farm to School Service Provider Grant: $272,895 awarded to 7 nonprofits. These grants provide farm to school program development services to schools and early childhood programs. In 2026, grants will support hands-on food systems education, professional development for child nutrition staff, peer learning opportunities for school garden coordinators, and more.
• Farm to School and Early Childhood Grant: $227,105 awarded to 10 school districts and early childhood programs. These grants develop long-term education, food, and community programs that connect young people with local food and agriculture. In 2026, grants will install gardens at schools and early childhood programs, build outdoor classrooms, purchase cooking equipment, and more.
• Local Food for Schools and Child Care (LFSCC) Community Supported Agriculture Grant: $200,000 to 13 early childhood programs and nonprofits. These grants provide local food to early childhood programs in Vermont through community supported agriculture. In 2026, 105 early childhood programs will use grant funds to purchase CSA shares from 55 Vermont farms - building direct relationships with farmers in their local communities while supporting nutrition and education for 3480 of Vermont's earliest learners.
• Local Food for Schools and Child Care (LFSCC) Food Hub Grant: $300,000 to 4 nonprofit food hubs. These grants will provide local food to Vermont schools through non-profit food hubs. In 2026, grants will provide free local food to every School Food Authority in Vermont through their local non-profit food hub.

"These investments strengthen our schools, support our farms, and help ensure Vermonters have access to healthy, local food," said Anson Tebbetts, Vermont Secretary of Agriculture, Food & Markets. "By connecting farmers with schools and community food programs, we are growing economic opportunity, supporting local agriculture, and building stronger communities across the state."

The Farm to School Grant Program is funded by annual state appropriation of $500,875. In FY26, an additional $500,000 was allocated in a special one-time state appropriation for Local Food for Schools and Child Care (LFSCC).

The funding opportunities offered through the Farm to School Grant program were updated in Fiscal Year 2026 to consolidate opportunities and streamline grant processes. The first grants of Fiscal Year 2027 will open in September 2026.

For more information about the Farm to School Grant Program, visit agriculture.vermont.gov/farmtoschool.

The Farm to Institution Program was authorized with the passage of the Rozo Mclaughlin Farm to School Program Act of 2006 and is funded with an annual state appropriation from the Vermont State Legislature. Since the first grants in 2007, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets has awarded 359 farm-to-school grants, investing $2.8 million in state funds in 163 schools and school districts and 166 early childhood education programs.

For questions, please contact:

Gina Clithero (she/her) | VAAFM Farm to Institution Program Manager| [email protected] | 802-585-6225