For over 15 years, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) has managed a competitive grant for Farm to School programming in Vermont schools and early childhood education settings. The Farm to School and Early Childhood (FTSEC) Capacity Building Grant, which will be accepting applications from October 3 - November 14, 2024, is an excellent source of funding for building or breathing new life into Farm to School and Early Childhood programs. The FTSEC Capacity Building Grant includes both financial assistance and technical assistance - this combination is what makes the grant so impactful.

Grant amounts vary slightly year by year, but they are typically in the $5,000 to $20,000 range for the 18-month grant period, depending on the size of your program. In addition to the financial award, each grantee receives free coaching and technical assistance to help their school or early childhood program build or expand their FTSEC programs (including expert assistance to grow school gardens, integrate agricultural education into classroom curriculum, expand meal programs, and procure local food from VT producers).   

If your school or early childhood education (ECE) program has yet to apply for this grant, or if it has been many years since you applied, we recommend applying this fall. If you are a Food Connects member school, please reach out to your coach and we would be happy to assist you with your application.

These grants have been transforming the lives of young people in Windham County and around our state for many years. Here’s a summary of some of the schools and early childhood programs in our region that have received FTSEC Capacity Building Grant funding in the past:

2024-2025 (in process): Oak Grove School just built a new garden and plans to do cooking activities with local produce in all classrooms this school year.

2023-2024: Windham Early Childhood Educators Cooperative members (more than 25 ECE programs in Windham County) improved gardens with materials for raised beds, soil, plants, and seeds. They created a Farm to ECE guide with activities and recipes contributed by their members. They worked with local master gardeners to improve their gardens, and they purchased curriculum materials, and cooking and gardening supplies to share among their programs via an equipment lending program associated with the Early Learning Express Bookmobile.

2023 -2024: Central Elementary School purchased garden supplies and supported school nutrition site manager Erica Frank to maintain the school gardens during the summer.

2023-2024: Academy School hired local landscape architect Adam Hubbard of Hubbard Land Design to create a long-term plan for their garden. They also purchased new, stainless steel raised beds, grow labs for indoor growing in classrooms, and a garden shed.

2022-2023: Dummerston School built new raised beds adjacent to the playground so students can garden and graze during recess. They also purchased soil, indoor grow labs, and an evaporator to start a maple sugaring program.

2022-2023: Winston Prouty’s Early Learning Center purchased a new, commercial stove for their kitchen, bought a garden cart, and funded a 5-hour per week garden coordinator position.

2020-2021: Westminster Center School & Grafton Elementary School created an outdoor kitchen, purchased a cooking cart and grow labs, and started raising chickens.

2018-2019: Riverside Middle School launched an on-site composting program, purchased kitchen equipment, and developed a middle school curriculum to accompany their on-site composting program.

2018-2019: Newbrook Elementary School built an outdoor pizza oven, hired a part-time garden coordinator, funded Vermont Harvest of the Month (HOM) taste tests, and created a Ladder of Responsibility for their Farm to School program.

2016-2017: Putney Central School purchased kitchen equipment, gardening supplies and equipment, and funded HOM taste tests.

We’re so grateful to the State of Vermont for fully funding this grant program. It has brought over 1.9 million dollars of FTSEC grant money to Vermont schools and ECE programs since its inception in 2007. Thank you to Becca Balint, Molly Burke, Nadir Hashim, Wendy Harrison,  Emilie Kornheiser, Tristen Toleno and all the other Vermont senators and representatives throughout the state who supported this crucial source of funding for healthy school communities in our rural state.