Local Food for Schools and Child Care CSA Grant Opens

Grants for non-profits and early childhood programs to purchase Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares from Vermont farms

October 15, 2025 | Montpelier, VT - The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) is opening applications for the Local Food for Schools and Child Care (LFSCC) Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Grant. The purpose of this grant is to provide local food to early learners through CSA shares. This grant is open tonon-profit organizations located in Vermont and licensed or registered early childhood education providers.

The application portal is open now through November 25, 2025. $200,000 is available to award and there is no minimum or maximum award limit. Applicants will be notified of decisions in February 2026, with projects beginning in March or April of 2026.

To maximize the impact of this grant program, VAAFM is encouraging individual early childhood education providers to partner with other providers on a group application. Non-profit organizations or early childhood education providers can submit applications on behalf of a group of early childhood programs. A letter of commitment is required from each early childhood program that applies or partners on an application.

There will be an optional applicant webinar on Thursday, October 16 from 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM for prospective applicants to learn more.

Full details about the LFSCC CSA Grant, including eligibility criteria and webinar information, can be found on the FY26 LFSCC CSA Grant webpage.

The Local Food for Schools and Child Care (LFSCC) CSA Grant is made possible by a one-time State of Vermont legislative appropriation as a result of the termination of the USDA LFSCC funding in March 2025. This LFSCC CSA grant will provide local food to early childhood programs in Vermont through CSA shares. A separate LFSCC opportunity will be announced this winter for providing local food to K-12 schools through non-profit food hubs. For more information about upcoming grant opportunities, visit the Farm to Institution webpage .

The Farm to Institution Program was authorized with the passage of the Rozo Mclaughlin Farm-to-School Program Act of 2006 and is funded with an annual state appropriation from the Vermont State Legislature. Since the first grants in 2007, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets has awarded 339 farm to school grants, investing $2.4 million in state funds in 158 schools and school districts and 160 early childhood education programs.

For questions, please contact: Gina Clithero | VAAFM Farm to Institution Program Manager | [email protected] | cell: 802-585-6225