MA FRESH Grant Program
The Massachusetts FRESH (Farming Reinforces Education and Student Health) Grant is a new statewide farm to school and farm to early care grant program currently accepting applications. The program is administered by the Mass. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
The program is designed to support K-12 and early education and care centers to start up or expand their local foods purchasing and education efforts. Read below for more information on the grant program guidelines including information about registering for an information session and/or an individual coaching session.
Applications for the FY24-25 grants have now closed. Check back soon for information about future grant announcements.
Photo courtesy of Chicopee Fresh
2024 FRESH Grant Recipients
In the spring of 2024, DESE awarded the second round of MA FRESH grants.
K-12 Schools
Codman Academy
Community Charter School of Cambridge
Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School
Greenfield Public Schools
Haverhill Public Schools
Holyoke Public Schools
Lenox Public Schools
Mashpee Public Schools
Medway Public Schools
Norfolk County Agricultural High School
Prospect Hill Academy
Salem Public Schools
Webster Public Schools
Westford Public Schools
Early Education & After School Programs
ABCD Head Start and Children's Service
Boys & Girls Club of Metro South
Community Action Pioneer Valley Head Start & Early Learning Program
Ellis Early Learning
Holyoke Chicopee Head Start
MetroWest YMCA
Mystic Valley YMCA
PACE Head Start
Waltham Boys & Girls Club
2023 FRESH Grant Recipients
In the spring of 2023, DESE awarded the first round of FRESH grants. There were over $1.6 million in requests from nearly 60 applicants. The sixteen K-12 schools and early education centers listed below received grants totaling nearly $500,000. Click below to read more about all of the awarded projects.
K-12 Schools
Boston Public Schools
Bridge Boston Charter School
Fitchburg Public Schools
Gloucester Public Schools
Medway Public Schools
MetroNorth YMCA
Northampton Public Schools
Provincetown Public Schools
RFK Alliance/Dr. Franklin Perkins School (Lancaster)
Shaloh House (Boston)
Somerville Public Schools
Springfield Public Schools
Early Education Centers
Assonet Day Care (Freetown)
Guild of St. Agnes (Worcester)
Metro North YMCA
Rainbow Child Development Center (location)
South Shore YMCA
Springfield Public Schools
Considering Applying?
We will host an Info Session when the next round is announced
Watch a recording of an information session hosted on Dec. 14, 2022.
Who Can Apply?
Applicants must be sponsors of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or Child and Adult Care Feeding Program (CACFP). Eligible entities include K-12 schools, early education centers, or government, for profit, and community-based organizations that sponsor NSLP or CACFP.
Program Overview
Application Process & Timeline
The FY24-25 application closed in November. You can view the closed grant opportunity here: https://www.doe.mass.edu/grants/2024/710/ We will post information about upcoming opportunities when announced.
Grant Award Size
Grant awards will range from $3,000-$50,000 per applicant depending on the grant track selected. Grants will be awarded in the following tracks:
New K-12 Farm to School Initiative Grants: Between $5,000 – $50,000
New Early Education Farm to School Initiative Grants: Between $3,000 – $25,000
Expanding Current K-12 Farm to School Initiative Grants: Between $5,000 – $50,000
Expanding Current Early Education Farm to School Initiative Grants: $3,000 – $50,000
Project Duration
Applicants can submit proposals of up to 18 months in duration.
Eligible Activities
Grants are designed to fund the startup or expansion of farm to school/farm to early care activities, including, but not limited to:
kitchen equipment used to prepare local food for school meals and snacks including, but not limited to, local, fresh produce, meats, seafood and dairy items
training school kitchen staff in preparing fresh meals using local ingredients and in procuring such ingredients
training educators and other school/early care staff in adding or integrating food system lessons to their curriculum
infrastructure and programming for curricular and extracurricular activities, such as school gardens, for students to learn about agriculture and the food system
Additional Resources
There are many resources you can access to support the implementation of your farm to school program. From school garden support organizations to educator professional development providers, we encourage you to explore partnerships that will strengthen your program. Please find a list of some of these programs and the services they can provide. If you are looking for resources in a particular geographic region or have resources you would like to share with applicants, please be in touch.
School Garden Support Organizations
Ascentria (Hampden County)
Backyard Growers (Gloucester & Cape Ann)
Berkshire Botanical (Berkshire County)
Fresh Start Food Gardens (Western Middlesex & Northeastern Worcester County)
Green City Growers (Greater Boston Area)
Island Grown Initiative (Martha’s Vineyard)
Marion Institute // Grow Education (South Coast)
Mill City Grows (Lowell)
School Sprouts Educational Gardens (Hampshire & Hampden)
Sustainable Cape (Cape Cod)
Sustainable Nantucket (Nantucket)
Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom (Statewide)
Regional Environmental Council (Worcester)
John Stalker Institute - Culinary Training and School Garden Courses
FAQs
Please review the FAQs on the DESE website at: https://www.doe.mass.edu/cnp/grants/ma-fresh-qa.html
I’m a teacher, can I apply?
Yes! Any school staff member can complete and submit the grant application. Although the proposal does not need to include school nutrition activities, school nutrition staff will need to be consulted to complete some of the application questions.
How long can my project last?
Applicants can submit proposals of up to 18 months in duration.
Can I use this grant to pay for staff?
Yes, but funds can only be used to expand staffing to meet grant objectives. Salaries or stipends for existing staff time to work on the grant must be allocated in kind.
If my application is successful, when can I expect to receive the funds?
DESE anticipates making the next awards by early 2024.
My school district sponsors both NSLP and CACFP, can I apply under both programs?
You can only submit one application on behalf of your organization/school. If your organization operates both NSLP and CACFP, your applications can include activities in both programs. You cannot submit two separate applications.
Is the grant opportunity posted on Commbuys?
No - the grant opportunity is only available on the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website at https://www.doe.mass.edu/grants/2024/715-2/