The 2025 Farming Reinforces Education and Student Health (MA FRESH) Program, offered by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, is a state-funded competitive grant. Its core mission is to empower National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and Child Adult Food Care Program (CACFP) sponsors to initiate or expand their capacity to grow or source local food. This initiative aligns with a broader goal of educating students, teachers, school nutrition professionals, and staff about the local food system, ultimately fostering connections between food system education and the availability of local foods in school and early education meal programs. The program supports K-12 and early education in food literacy, linking local food system education to the local food served in these programs.
The MA FRESH program targets a diverse group of beneficiaries, including K-12 students, early education children, teachers, school nutrition professionals, and staff. The impact goals are to increase access to local foods in school and early education settings, enhance food literacy among children and adults, and strengthen local food systems. Expected outcomes include the establishment of new school gardens and indoor growing operations, the development of food literacy curriculums, expanded in-school and childcare programming promoting food literacy, increased field trips to local farms, and professional development for educators and school nutrition professionals. Measurable results would involve tracking the number of new gardens, curriculum implementations, program expansions, and trained personnel, as well as the integration of local ingredients into meal programs.
The program prioritizes schools and early education providers with high percentages of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch, aiming to promote geographic equity. Additionally, districts and schools in chronically underperforming status will receive competitive priority. These priorities underscore a strategic commitment to addressing food insecurity and educational disparities within underserved communities, ensuring that the benefits of food literacy and local food access reach those most in need.
With approximately $500,000 available, applicants can seek funding between $5,000 and $30,000 across categories such as New K–12 Farm to School Initiative Grants, New Farm to Early Education Initiative Grants, Expanding K–12 Farm to School Initiative Grants, and Expanding Farm to Early Education Initiative Grants. Eligible applicants include licensed early education programs participating in CACFP and schools or school districts in NSLP serving K-12 students. This funding structure and eligibility criteria reflect a strategic approach to support both new and existing initiatives, fostering a long-term impact on food literacy and local food integration within educational settings.
