Overview

Project Produce - a former fruit and veggie granting program of the Chef Ann Foundation - was designed to create experiential nutrition education when and where students make their food choices: in the cafeteria. The program provides funds to support food costs to incorporate school-wide fruit and vegetable tastings into the school’s nutrition program.

Food service staff, often with support from other school personnel, host tastings and food literacy events in the cafeteria in order to increase student exposure and acceptability of fresh fruits, vegetables, and new recipes. Favorite fruits, vegetables, and new recipes are incorporated into school meals and are promoted through peer-to-peer marketing strategies. These activities expand kids’ palates and encourage healthy eating habits in school and out.

Goals

• Increase student exposure to fresh fruits, vegetables, and scratch-cooked recipes
• Provide food literacy activities such as cooking demos, farmer visits, and nutrition education
• Implement a peer-to-peer marketing campaign
• Integrate new favorite fruits, vegetables and recipes into the menu cycles

Program Requirements

• School must participate in the National School Lunch Program and have more than 50% Free and Reduced Meal eligibility.
• Each grant is for $2,000 and a district may apply for up to five school sites for a total of $10,000.
• Grant funds must be used to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables to support your planned project. You may also use funds to purchase other food items used in scratch cooked recipe testing.
• Recipes for testing must include elements of scratch-cooking and credit to the fruit or vegetable component of the meal pattern.
• Taste tests and recipe testing must take place in the school cafeteria during the school day.
• Up to 10% of grant funds can be used on supplies that support the nutrition education and food literacy activities such as printouts of nutrition facts or tasting cups.
• Schools are encouraged to purchase local produce.
• Schools must complete a program evaluation at the end of the grant period. This evaluation will require submission of receipts or invoices from all purchases made using grant funds.
• Funds may not be used to support the cost of reimbursable meals, staff hours, transportation, collateral materials, or other programming costs.
• A school nutrition director, manager, or supervisor must be the applicant; however, grant coordinators, wellness coordinators, teachers, or others are welcome to assist the school in implementing the project.

Grant Award and Timeline

This program is currently seeking funding. We will update this page when the program reopens. If your company or organization wants to support fresh produce for kids, please contact us!