SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — Sullivan 180 has released the Farm to School Initiative grant application, which provides funding support to initiatives proposed by youth to enhance cafeteria experiences. The projects should promote healthy food from farm to school.

Through a USDA grant and in partnership with several organizations, student-proposed grants are available to every school district in Sullivan County.  

Advisors are available to offer technical assistance. Students might also explore, incorporate or build on existing efforts such as the Catskill Edible Garden Project or resources such as Farm to School Month, NYS Harvest of the Month, the Big Apple Crunch, New York Thursdays, etc.

Students are invited to apply in collaboration with their school’s leadership. Successful projects will have an opportunity to be presented at a regional Farm to School conference in 2025.

This project is part of the School Nutrition Action Coalition, which has been working over the past year to advance farm-to-school projects in Sullivan County. The coalition includes partners from the Center for Discovery, Cornell Cooperative Sullivan County, Gael Roots Farm, Harvest NY, A Single Bite plus the Catskills Food Hub, and the Sullivan County Youth Bureau; along with the Liberty, Livingston Manor, Roscoe and Sullivan West school districts. 

Applications are available at www.sullivan180.org/grants. The application deadline is Wednesday, May 1.

For more information, call Denise Frangipane at 845/295-2443 or email denise@sullivan180.org.