Applications due Jul 3, 2027
Washington State Department of Agriculture
WSDA has been serving agriculture and the public for more than 100 years. Through service, regulation, and advocacy, we support keeping agriculture viable and vital in Washington State, while protecting consumers, public health, and the environment.
Farm to School Purchasing Grants
Washington State Department of Agriculture’s (WSDA) Farm to School Program exists to facilitate increased use of Washington grown food by schools.
The purpose of the Farm to School Purchasing grants is to increase the purchase, use, and promotion of foods that are grown, raised, caught, or foraged in Washington by child nutrition programs with an emphasis on procurement from small and direct marketing farms and food businesses, including but not limited to, socially disadvantaged, beginning, limited resource, women and veteran farmers and ranchers.
Grant funds are intended to support schools and early learning services in sourcing and preparing high quality, nutritious, culturally relevant foods for their meal programs.WSDA Farm to School Purchasing Grants are reimbursement grants. Grants are awarded based on a competitive application and review process.
There are two application types: School Meals and Childcare Meals
Eligible applicants may apply for one or more application type.
*New for the 2025-2027 Biennium*
There is no option to apply for a purchasing grant solely for Summer Meal programs. School Meals applicants who operate SFSP or SSO may include summer meals as part of their School Meals application. Award amounts are detailed in the Maximum Eligible Awards section of the grant guidelines.
Eligible Expenses
Farm to School Purchasing Grant funds must be used to support the grant purpose of increasing use of Washington grown, raised, caught, or foraged foods.
Farm to school purchasing may:
- Increase scratch cooking practices with the use of more ingredients in fresh and raw forms.
- Create opportunities for meal programs to develop culturally relevant meals for students.
- Introduce students and staff to new and unfamiliar foods with supportive training, education, and taste-testing.
- Expand opportunities for Washington’s small farm and food producers to access new markets.
The Farm to School Purchasing Grant may be used to cover non-food costs in addition to direct food purchases. Non-food costs must directly support the project plan’s efforts to purchase and promote foods grown, raised, or caught in Washington State.
Awardees may use up to 25% of their total awarded grant funds on eligible non-food costs. Awardees must spend at least 75% of the awarded grant funds on food purchases.
See the list below for examples of eligible expenses. These lists are not exhaustive, there may be eligible expenses not included in the list of examples.
Indirect costs are not permitted as part of the project budget for this program. Administrative costs, such as fiscal office staff time, are permitted as a non-food cost in lieu of indirect costs.
Examples of Eligible Food Costs
Grantees may purchase foods grown, raised, harvested, and packaged or processed in Washington from various sources including, but not limited to:
- School & Childcare gardens
- Washington farms
- Food hubs or farmer cooperatives
- Food Processors
- Regional produce or broadline distributors
The following products are examples of foods that are eligible for reimbursement with the Farm to School Purchasing Grant:
- Processed or packaged foods** with a primary ingredient that is 100% grown, raised, caught, or foraged in Washington State- where the primary ingredient is the largest ingredient by weight or volume.
- For example, yogurt containing 100% milk from cows raised in Washington or pizza dough containing 100% flour from wheat grown in Washington.
See more about eligible expenses from the grant guidelines.