Funding Farm to School Danielle Fleury USDA Farm

Funding Farm to School Danielle Fleury, USDA Farm to School Lauren Mancini & Karyn Novakowski, Somerville Public Schools Sally Loomis, Williamsburg Public Schools January 13, 2014

Overview • Federal funding streams: » USDA’s Farm to School Grant Program » Other USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) funds » Other USDA Grant and Loan programs • Somerville perspective: » Somerville Farm to School Planning Grant and leveraged resources » Somerville’s Do. D Fresh and FFVP grant • Williamsburg perspective: » Williamsburg parent committee and school garden coordinator » Snapshot of a successful community fundraising “farmraiser”

USDA Farm to School Grant Program • Award up to $5. 0 million annually, for: » Training » Supporting operations; » Planning; » Purchasing equipment; » Developing school gardens; » Developing partnerships; and » Implementing farm to school programs.

Types of Grants • Planning ($20, 000 - $45, 000 over 1 year) » school districts or individual schools just starting to incorporate farm to school program elements into their operations • Implementation ($65, 000 - $100, 000 over 1 -2 years) » school districts or schools to help scale or further develop existing farm to school initiatives • Support Service ($65, 000 - $100, 000 over 1 -2 years) » state and local agencies, Indian tribal organizations, agricultural producers or groups of agricultural producers, and non-profit entities working with school districts

Timeline • January/February » Request for Applications announced (FY 2016 RFA forthcoming) • Late April » Applications due • October/November » Awards announced

supply chain development…distribution and storage of local foods…school gardens… menu audits… salad bars… taste testing… curriculum development… farm field trips…advisory groups… Detailed info on funded projects, by state, is on the website

FNS Program Funds • Federal cash reimbursement (nonprofit food service account funds) » local foods and school gardens • Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) » local foods and educational opportunity • USDA Foods/Do. D Fresh » local foods • State Administrative Expense (SAE) funds » State-level farm to school trainings, materials, activities

School Garden Memo • Federal reimbursement dollars can support school gardens • Allowable expenses

Other Federal Sources • Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food » KYF 2 Compass Map » Track where federal funding is going to support local and regional food systems • Other USDA and federal agency support

Resources

USDA Farm to School Toolkit http: //www. fns. usda. gov/farmtoschool/census/#/toolkit/module/11 • #11 Sustaining Your Program- grants, fundraising techniques

Somerville Public Schools Culturally rich city with 50 native languages spoken Somerville ~5000 students in ~4 sq miles makes it the most densely populated community in New England Lunch served to ~3000 students daily 67% free and reduced lunch 10 Schools – Pre. K to 12 1 Early Childhood Center 7 K-8 Schools 1 Alternative Middle/High School 1 High School

Somerville Food and Nutrition Services Salad bars at 7 K-8 Schools and High School Fresh fruit and vegetable program at 3 K-8 schools Events: Food Day, Corn Shucking Day 6 schools received Bronze award for HUSSC Vegetable of the Month Cafeteria and in-class taste tests Do. D Fresh Farm to School Project Shape Up Somerville Approved

Somerville Farm to School Project EMPOWERING MINDFUL EATERS Purpose of the grant: • Strategically align all of the district’s farm to school efforts • Work with FNS on sourcing local foods for school food program • Offer food education programs • Develop short and long term goals and implementation plan Mission of project: • • • Grow, cook, eat, repeat Cultivate a sense of place Advocate for good food Funded by a USDA Planning Grant December 2013 – November 2014

Somerville Farm to School Programs: Cafeteria, Classroom, Community

Funding Farm to School CURRENT FUNDING SOURCES Partner funded programs • • Groundwork Somerville – School Gardens Project Bread – Healthy Summer Harvest FUTURE FUNDING GOALS Partner funded programs • • Continue to work with current partners Cultivate new partnerships Funding through District • • Somerville Family Learning Collaborative – Pop up Literacy Workshop Somerville Community Schools - Cooking Club PEP Grant – Cooking Club, Food Literacy Programs School discretionary budget – School Gardens Funding from within FNS • • • Do. D Fresh – Local foods Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program – Local foods USDA Farm to School Planning Grant – planning, taste tests, curriculum development, local sourcing, school gardens Funding through District • • Continue to partner with district departments Increase individual school investment Funding from within FNS • • Increase Do. D Fresh participation Add additional FFVP schools Apply for grants Create permanent Farm to School Director Position for district

Sourcing local with Do. D Fresh Somerville allotted $16, 500 to spend through the Department of Defense (Do. D) Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Can use USDA Foods entitlement dollars to buy fresh produce via A. T. Siravo Choose local items when available

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Three schools participate Argenziano, 2008 -2015 East Somerville, 2009 -2015 Winter Hill, 2012 -2015 34% of students in district served through FFVP (~1600 students) Provides free fresh fruits and vegetables midmorning snack to students 5 days/week

Promoting local with FFVP GOALS 1. During 4 months of the school year (June, September, October, November) identify snacks that can be locally sourced once per week (Once per month might be more realistic is pilot year) 2. Hold planting days in the spring when students can plant seeds of vegetables that they eat as a part of the FFVP Program. 3. Provide fruit and vegetable source information to teachers and students EXAMPLES OF LOCAL PRODUCE: June – strawberries, peas September/October/November – apples, carrots, pears, peppers, zucchini

Local Sourcing Obstacles Vendor communications: Availability report and source labeling Local to us…. . Local to our vendor…. . ? Massachusetts Grown Defining local New England Grown Mid Atlantic Grown Funding deadlines/timeframes: Do. D Fresh funding available October, spend by April Flexibility to accept different varieties or items Fruit Budget: Local is more expensive Case Size Price Non-local Cost Differential Local Apple 125 ct $ 35. 00 $ 40. 00 13% Strawberries 1 case $ 18. 00 $ 25. 00 39%

Please be in touch! Lauren Mancini Director, Somerville Food and Nutrition Services lmancini@k 12. somerville. ma. us Charlotte Stephenson Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Grant Coordinator cstephenson@k 12. somerville. ma. us Karyn Novakowski Somerville Farm to School Project Director knovakowski@k 12. somerville. ma. us

Williamsubrg Elementary School Farm To School Program • Started in 2001 as after school program for kindergarten • Grew to provide weekly garden education to all 160 students during school day • At peak size had paid coordinators, multiple special projects, lots of grant $ • Intentionally shifted to a smaller, more sustainable program organized by volunteers with most funding from school

Williamsburg Peak Budget Williamsburg Income Foundation Grants $16, 000 Special Project grants $14, 000 Individuals and major donors $10, 000 Fundraising Events $2, 500 School $5, 000 Total $42, 500

Creating a Sustainable Program u School put a line item in their budget for garden education. Small at first. u Shift of organizations from outside nonprofit to School PTO u School took on coordination of program u Downsized program to core – garden education, support for local food in school meals, annual harvest feast u New volunteers organize key program elements – fundraising, summer garden care, annual celebration

Williamsburg Greenhouse Project u. Long-time vision of a school greenhouse u. Waiting for school renovation gave time to build momentum u. Raised nearly $30, 000 for structure big enough for an entire class u. Broad community support u 3 groups raising money for the project u. Wonderful volunteer support

School Greenhouse Budget Williamsburg Greenhouse Income Community Foundation grant $7, 000 Individual donations $2, 100 Local businesses including % profit to greenhouse days $4, 900 Plant People fundraisers (Surplus from several Mother’s Day plant sales) $6, 000 PTO fundraisers (including sales of local syrup, coffee) $5, 000 School Garden Program fundraisers (silent auction, half day programs) $5, 000 Total $30, 000

Lessons Learned • Find fundraising strategies that fit with your community • Build momentum and excitement • Cultivate a core group of volunteers and make the work fun • Don’t be afraid to ask • Budget a buffer • Make your project new and exciting for funders • Emphasize how the project or program will be sustained in the future

Thank you! Questions?

Contact us: Danielle Fleury danielle. fleury@fns. usda. gov Lauren Mancini lmancini@k 12. somerville. ma. us Karyn Novakowski knovakowski@k 12. somerville. ma. us Sally Loomis loomissally@gmail. com