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Massachusetts FRESH Grant

NEW GRANT OPPORTUNITY

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has released MA FRESH CORP, a new state funded, competitive grant pilot to encourage schools and early education programs to build capacity, coordinate and execute local food system educational activities and local procurement in Child Nutrition Programs. This funding is limited to Massachusetts schools operating National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and Child Adult Food Care Program (CACFP) sponsors operating early education programs.

This pilot grant will fund new staff salaries, stipends or consultant fees to ensure local food system activities are strategically integrated into the classroom, cafeteria and community to support institutionalized, sustained programs that promote food literacy. The grant is designed to support schools and early education programs implementing experiential, high-quality, culturally and linguistically sustaining local food system learning environments that cross multiple disciplines and institutional departments.

Eligibility:  Massachusetts schools operating National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and Child Adult Food Care Program (CACFP) sponsors operating early education programs. Only one application will be considered per Child Nutrition Program sponsor. Sponsors of both the NSLP and CACFP may only submit one application for consideration.

Grant Due Date:  January 17, 2025

Grant Timeframe:  Upon Approval-June 30, 2026

Award Range:  Between $15,000- $150,000 total over FY 25-26, applications must include grant requests for FY25 funding (anticipated FY25 awards between $15,000 and $60,000).

Prospective Applicant Information

 

FRESH CORP Request for Proposals

MA FRESH Grant Program (Currently Closed)

The Massachusetts FRESH (Farming Reinforces Education and Student Health) Grant is a new statewide farm to school and farm to early care grant program. The program is administered by the Mass. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). The program is designed to support K-12 and licensed 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 current information on application deadlines.

The MA FRESH Grant has four categories broken out for early education programs running Child and Adult Care Food Programs (CACFP) and K-12 school districts running National School Lunch Programs (NSLP). Applicants may apply for funding between $5,000 and $30,000 in one of the following categories:  

  • New K-12 Farm to School Initiative 
  • New Farm to Early Education Initiative 
  • Expanding K-12 Farm to School Initiative 
  • Expanding Farm to Early Education Initiative

Please visit our webinar archive page for recordings of previous information sessions.

MA FRESH Recipients

Download full report. 

FY 24 Grantees

In early 2024 DESE awarded over $400,000 to 23 school districts and childcare centers across the Commonwealth to support local food and local food education in schools. This second round of applications saw over $2.5M in requests from nearly 80 applicants.

Read 2024 Grant Report. 

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

FY 23 Grantees

Read 2023 Grant Report.

K-12 Schools

  • Boston Public Schools
  • Bridge Boston Charter School
  • Fitchburg Public Schools
  • Gloucester Public Schools
  • Medway Public Schools
  • 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

Want to Help Advocate for a Permanent Farm to School Grant Program?

Please visit mafoodformakids.org to learn about current policy action alerts and ways to get in touch with your legislators.

Additional Resources

Mass. Farm to School is supporting the implementation of FRESH grants through technical assistance and trainings. If you are a current grantee please contact Abby Getman Skillicorn at abby@massfarmtoschool.org for more information about grantee support.

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.

External Trainings & Events

Framingham State University

Framingham State University offers professional development for educators to promote the addition of food literacy lessons or garden activities to school curriculum. The following four-week online graduate courses for educators and school professionals align with the MassFRESH grant requirements:

  • PRDV 73627 | Exploring Food: From the Ground Up
  • PRDV 70423 | Growing Your School Garden

Please visit the MassSchoolWellness.org Initiatives web page for course descriptions, cost, and instructions on how to register.

The John C. Stalker Institute (JSI) of Food and Nutrition at Framingham State University

JSI offers professional development for kitchen staff in preparing fresh meals using local ingredients as outlined in the MassFRESH grant requirements. Please visit the JSI Workshops To Go web page for workshop descriptions, cost, and instructions for requesting a workshop.

Organizations and Businesses Supporting School Gardens

Agriculture Resources

Questions? Contact Abby


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