Putting Tribal Sovereignty in Food Sovereignty
USDA’s FY2026 Farm to School Grant Program open to Tribes and Tribal Organizations
Deadline to apply is December 5, 2025.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced the opening of its FY2026 Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program, offering up to $18 million in funding to support local food systems and agricultural education in schools across the country. Tribal governments and Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs) are some of the eligible entities listed in the request for applicants.
The grant program, administered by the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), aims to strengthen connections between schools and local producers, increase access to nutritious, locally grown foods, and promote agricultural literacy among students. Grants range from $100,000 to $500,000.
The program can support both Tribal and non-Tribal local producers and promote food sovereignty through Tribally-led food security programming. Farm to School can also offer Tribally-led nutrition education to students, incorporating traditional foods while providing market opportunities for the local producers who grow, raise, and harvest those foods. Past Tribal grantees used the funding to launch school gardens, host traditional food tastings, and build partnerships with local farmers and ranchers, among other activities.
In addition to Tribal governments and ITOs, eligible applicants also include state and local agencies, Child Nutrition Program operators, agricultural producers and producer groups, and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status, although Child Nutrition Program operators, producers, and nonprofits must apply as part of a partnership. The definition of “producers” is broad and is not limited to anyone growing fresh fruits and vegetables, but also specifically includes fishers and ranchers as well.
Full eligibility criteria and guidance can be found at the links on the USDA Farm to School Grant Program page. USDA’s program staff can be reached at SM.FN.FarmToSchool@usda.gov, while FNS regional office staff contact information is listed here.
In March 2025, USDA halted funding disbursements, cancelling around $10 million in FY2025 funds from the program. According to recent reports, the FY2026 funding will be supplemented from paused 2025 grants and remaining balances from prior year award cycles will contribute to the 2026 funding.