Chef Ann Foundation Invests $4.8M In Local Agriculture And Nutrition For Schools
The Chef Ann Foundation has awarded $4.8 million in grants to eight groups of local partners through its Partnerships for Local Agriculture & Nutrition Transformation in Schools (PLANTS) program. Launched in October 2023, the initiative is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service’s Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative. The program aims to strengthen partnerships among community-based school food system stakeholders, focusing on building resilient and equitable K–12 school food supply chains.
PLANTS also seeks to expand scratch cooking, enabling schools to incorporate more local foods and create healthier, culturally inclusive meal programs. "We received nearly 100 applications from a combined total of 360 organizations representing 123 schools and 38 states and U.S. territories," said Laura Smith, Executive Director of Programs at the Chef Ann Foundation. "It’s clear that many school districts across the country and their food system partners are eager to collaborate to improve the quality of the food they serve in ways that support their local communities."
The awarded grants will support various projects across the United States:
| Partnership | Location | Grant Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Anchorage School District, Rural Alaska Community Action Program, The Alaska Food Company, Copper River Seafood | Alaska | $595,423 |
| The Gulf of Maine Research Institute, The South Portland Public School District Food Service Department, Maine Coast Fishermen's Association | Maine | $599,999 |
| Detroit Public Schools Community District Office of School Nutrition, Keep Growing Detroit, Eastern Market Partnership, The Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network | Michigan | $600,000 |
| New Roots Community Farm, Fayette County Schools, Sprouting Farms, West Virginia University’s Center for Resilient Communities | West Virginia | $598,136 |
| Muskegon Area Intermediate School District, Montague Area Public Schools, Food Agriculture Research and Manufacturing Accelerator, Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities | Michigan | $597,683 |
| North Eastern Washington Educational Service District 101, LINC Foods, Mission West Community Development Partners, Valley School District, CasaCano Farms | Washington | $598,538 |
| CommonWealth Kitchen, MA Farm to School, Boston Public School, Portland Public Schools | New England | $600,000 |
| Iowa Valley Resource Conservation and Development, Practical Farmers of Iowa, Council Bluffs Community School District, Iowa St. University Extension and Outreach, Farm Table Delivery | Iowa | $599,652 |
In addition to the funds awarded, grantees will receive three years of in-depth technical assistance as well as tools, training, and resources from the Chef Ann Foundation. Additional support will come from Kitchen Sync Strategies Collaborative and National Farm to School Network. Project evaluation support will be provided by the Center for Nutrition Health and Impact.
"Each project that has received an award represents an incredible array of learning opportunities," said Sunny Baker, Senior Director of Program and Policy at Farm to School Network. "What we learn from the PLANTS program will help schools and their communities enact lasting change that supports the health of kids and the health of our planet." Learn more about the Chef Ann Foundation’s PLANTS program and grant recipients here.
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