(1) The Department of Education shall administer a Farm-to-School Grant Program as provided by this section.

(2) An entity identified in subsection (3)(a) or (5)(a) of this section may apply to the department for a grant as follows:

(a) As a noncompetitive grant to assist the school district with paying for costs incurred by the school district to purchase food produced or processed in this state or to pay for costs incurred to identify sources of those foods or to process those foods.

(b) As a competitive grant to encourage and sustain successful efforts to purchase or promote food produced or processed in this state.

(c) As a competitive grant to fund food-based, agriculture-based and garden-based educational activities in the school district.

(3)(a) Based on a noncompetitive process, the department shall provide grants to any of the following entities to assist in paying for costs incurred by the entity to purchase food produced or processed in this state or to pay for costs incurred to identify sources of those foods or to process those foods:

(A) A school district.

(B) A provider of center-based programs for children in the Child and Adult Care Food Program.

(C) An entity that provides meals through the Summer Food Service Program.

(b) The amount of a grant awarded as provided by this subsection shall be determined by the department based on the number of meals served by the entity identified in paragraph (a) of this subsection during the previous school year and summer under the United States Department of Agriculture’s National School Lunch Program and Summer Food Service Program.

(c) An entity that receives a grant under this subsection:

(A) Shall use the moneys for the costs incurred by the entity to purchase food products that were:

(i) Purchased on or after the date the entity received notification from the Department of Education of the amount to be distributed to the entity as provided by this subsection;

(ii) Produced or processed in this state, including to pay for costs incurred to identify sources of those foods or to process those foods; and

(iii) Used for meals that are served as part of the United States Department of Agriculture’s child nutrition programs.

(B) May use the moneys to provide education or promotion about foods produced or processed in this state.

(d)(A) An entity that receives a grant under this subsection may not use any moneys received under this subsection to supplant purchases of food produced or processed in this state that the entity had regularly purchased prior to the date the entity first received a grant as provided by this subsection.

(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, an entity may use moneys received under this subsection to purchase food produced or processed in this state that the entity had regularly purchased prior to the date the entity first received a grant as provided by this subsection if the food meets criteria established by the State Board of Education by rule.

(4) Based on a competitive process, the Department of Education shall provide grants to entities identified in subsection (3)(a) of this section to encourage and sustain successful efforts to purchase or promote food produced or processed in this state.

(5)(a) Based on a competitive process, the department shall provide grants to assist in paying the costs incurred to coordinate and implement food-based, agriculture-based or garden-based educational activities in the school district. Grants may be provided to:

(A) School districts;

(B) Education service districts;

(C) Federally recognized Indian tribes;

(D) Schools overseen by the Bureau of Indian Education;

(E) Nonprofit organizations;

(F) Providers of center-based programs for children in the Child and Adult Care Food Program;

(G) Commodity commissions or councils organized under ORS § 576.051 to 576.455 or ORS Chapter 577 or 578;

(H) Soil and water conservation districts organized under ORS § 568.210 to 568.808 and 568.900 to 568.933; or

(I) Producers of food produced or processed in this state, including farmers, ranchers and seafood harvesters.

(b) An entity identified in paragraph (a) of this subsection that receives a grant under this subsection shall use the moneys for costs directly associated with the educational activities, including staff time, travel costs and equipment purchased for the activities.

(c) When awarding grants under this subsection, preference shall be given to entities that propose educational activities that:

(A) Are well designed;

(B) Promote healthy food activities;

(C) Have clear educational objectives;

(D) Involve parents or the community;

(E) Are connected to a school district’s farm-to-school procurement activities; and

(F) Are culturally relevant to the students being served by the grant moneys.

(d) The department must ensure that the recipients of grants under this subsection:

(A) Represent a variety of school sizes and geographic locations; and

(B) Serve a high percentage of children who qualify for free or reduced price school meals under the United States Department of Agriculture’s National School Lunch Program.

(6) The Department of Education shall consult with the State Department of Agriculture to:

(a) Develop rules and standards related to the grants awarded under this section.

(b) Determine the recipients and amounts of grants awarded under this section.

(c) Evaluate the effectiveness of the Farm-to-School Grant Program, including program administration and the economic impact, educational outcomes and health outcomes of the program. For the purpose of conducting the evaluation, the Department of Education may collaborate or enter into a contract with a public or private entity.

(7) The Department of Education shall ensure that technical assistance, training and resources are provided to entities identified in subsections (3)(a) and (5)(a) of this section, and to any other entities that would contribute to the success of the program, by entering into an agreement with one or more statewide, regional or community partners to provide the technical assistance, training and resources.

(8)(a) The Department of Education may expend for the administrative costs incurred under this section no more than two percent of all moneys received by the department for the grant program.

(b) For the purpose of encouraging the success of the program administered under this section, the Department of Education shall enter into an agreement with the State Department of Agriculture to have the State Department of Agriculture distribute funding for infrastructure and equipment to persons who intend to sell food produced or processed in this state to entities identified in subsection (3)(a) of this section.

(c) The Department of Education may enter into agreements with partners identified in subsection (7) of this section and with the State Department of Agriculture for the payment of administrative costs incurred under this section. [2011 c.663 § 2; 2013 c.652 § 1; 2015 c.840 § 13; 2017 c.609 § 1; 2019 c.590 § 1]

[1991 c.693 § 19a; 1993 c.45 § 94; 1993 c.676 § 52; renumbered 329.237 in 1993]

[1991 c.693 § 19c; renumbered 329.245 in 1993]

[Amended by 1965 c.100 § 247; renumbered 336.610 and then 339.885 in 1993]