Applications are now open for the 2025 Patrick Leahy Farm to School Programs for Child Nutrition Program providers participating in the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and/or Summer Food Service Program. This year, the Request For Application (RFA) has been split into three separate solicitations, two of which are applicable to program operators:

• The Implementation Grant: $50,000 to $500,000 to support the establishment or expansion of comprehensive Farm to School projects.

• The Turnkey Grant: $5,000 to $50,000 to launch or enhance Farm to School activities; agricultural education; or edible gardens.

USDA's Food and Nutrition Service has released a policy memo that provides program operators of the child nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and the Summer Food Service Program, with additional information and clarification on the state agency monitoring process regarding the: 1) Child nutrition (CN) label, 2) Watermarked CN label, and 3) manufacturer’s Product Formulation Statement (PFS). This memorandum also reflects updates to the CN Label Verification System and provides clarification on the date of authorization found on the CN label versus the “Valid Until” date on the CN Label Verification Report. This memo is located here. TDA will add any clarifying guidance to Program Handbooks in future updates.

USDA has updated the complaint form linked to from the Non-Discrimination Statement to reflect new expiration dates. This non-substantive change requires no action, as participants may still submit complaints to USDA using a previous version. The URL to access the form also remains the same.

The Texas Automated Nutrition System (TANS) will replace TX-UNPS for administration and management of all programs beginning with Program Year 2026 applications. Timelines, resources, and updates are available now on the Systems Hub.