2023-24 CA Farm to School Incubator Grant Program Recipients

Welcome CDFA Farm to School Incubator Grantees! We are so grateful for the work you are doing, and are available to help with any questions you have about grants management and reporting.

Here are the upcoming timelines for your project:

Action Item Due By
Review Draft Grant Packet (scope of work & budget) Ongoing
Grant Term Starts* January 1, 2025
Grant Term Ends December 31, 2026

*Grant agreement must be fully executed in order for your grant project to begin

Please see below for additional resources and information:

Four Funding Tracks

The 2023-24 CA Farm to School Incubator Grant Program includes four funding tracks.

  • Track 1: The CA Farm to School TK-12 Procurement & Education Grant
  • Track 2: The CA Farm to School Technical Assistance (TA) Grant
  • Track 3: The CA Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE) Grant
  • Track 4: The CA Farm to School Producer Grant

To check which funding track your grant award is under, please view the 2023-24 Award Recipients List.
Grant Program Timeline

Submit all invoices (aka reimbursement requests) and quarterly check-in surveys to the CDFA by the submission due dates below.

  • Invoicing/Reimbursement Request Due Date: 30 calendar days after the end of the applicable month or quarter
    • NOTE: you may submit reimbursement requests monthly or quarterly
  • Quarterly Check-in Survey Due Date: 30 calendar days after the end of each quarter
  • View the Invoicing and Reporting Timeline for specific due dates
Funding Information

CA Farm to School Incubator Grant awards are state grant funds, allocated from the state general fund and distributed through the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA).

TRACK 1: When accounting for the 2023-24 CA Farm to School Incubator Grant award, please use Resource Code 7810.

For further questions about resource codes or funding accounts, we recommend contacting the SACS Financial Accountability & Information Services at sacsinfo@cde.ca.gov or (916) 322-1770.
Reimbursement Process

This is a reimbursement grant program. Recipients will fund the project and submit monthly or quarterly invoices to the CDFA to be reimbursed.

  • Timeline:
    • Recipients may submit monthly or quarterly reimbursement requests to the CDFA. The reimbursement request due date is 30 calendar days after the applicable month or quarter. Reimbursement occurs within 45 calendar days after you submit an invoice (aka reimbursement request) in most circumstances.
  • Reimbursement Request Process:
    1. Email CDFA for Updated Expense Summary Template: when you are ready to prepare a new reimbursement request, email cafarmtoschool@cdfa.ca.gov for your updated CDFA Expense Summary Template
    2. Complete Expense Summary Template:complete the expense summary template for the reimbursement request. This will serve as the “cover page” for the expenses included.
    3. Compile Proof of Payment: compile all proof of payment documentation for your reimbursement request
      1. IMPORTANT: please review each of the related budget category sections below for the proof of payment templates and details necessary for your reimbursement request.
      2. Please compile all of your proof of payment documentation into one file if possible, or name each separate file in accordance with the proof of payment category (i.e., Food Procurement Costs, Staff/Labor Costs, Contractual Costs, etc.).
    4. Email Reimbursement Request to CDFA: email your completed expense summary template and all accompanying proof of payment documentation to cafarmtoschool@cdfa.ca.gov
    5. The CDFA will review and, at its discretion, may approve, disallow, or request additional information
      1. NOTE: the CDFA will review reimbursement requests on a "first come, first served" basis
    6. If approved, you may expect to receive a reimbursement check in the mail up to 45 calendar days after submitting your reimbursement request in most circumstances.
Advance Payment Process

Grant recipients may be eligible to receive advance payments for project expenditures.

  • Timeline:
    • Grant recipients may request advance payment once the grant term begins and upon receiving a fully executed grant agreement.
    • Estimated Processing Time: 50-55 Days
      • 5-10 business days for the Farm to School Program Team to review
      • 45 calendar days to process payment and receive the check in the mail
  • Advance Payment Regulations:
    • 501(c)(3) Organizations:
      • Review and follow the Advance Payment Regulations (316.1).
      • Eligible to request a maximum of 25% of the total grant award to be expended in a 90-day period.
      • Provide an itemized budget for the eligible costs the advance payment will fund, a spending timeline, and a workplan.
      • Provide documentation to support the need for advance payment, which may include, but is not limited to, invoices, contracts, estimates, payroll records, permitting.
      • Be in good standing as an organization exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
    • All Other Organizations:
      • Review and follow the Advance Payment Regulations (316.1).
      • Eligible to request a maximum of 25% of the total grant award to be expended in a 90-day period.
        • CDFA will review requests for over 25% on a case-by-case basis.
      • Provide an itemized budget for the eligible costs the advance payment will fund, a spending timeline, and a workplan.
      • Provide documentation to support the need for advance payment, which may include, but is not limited to, invoices, contracts, estimates, payroll records, permitting.
    • NOTE: CDFA is not able to process reimbursement requests while a grant recipient has an ongoing advance payment. Once the advance payment is liquidated and reconciled, the reimbursement packet can be submitted
  • Advance Payment Request Process:
    1. Complete Advance Payment Request Form: download and complete the advance payment request form:
    2. Compile Documentation: compile documentation to support the need for advance payment (e.g. invoices, contracts, estimates, payroll records, permitting).
    3. Email Advance Payment Request to CDFA: email your completed advance payment request form and all accompanying documentation to cafarmtoschool@cdfa.ca.gov
    4. The CDFA will review and at its discretion, may approve, deny, or request additional information
      1. NOTE: The CDFA will review advance payment requests on a "first come, first served" basis
    5. If approved, you may expect to receive an advance payment check in the mail up to 45 calendar days after submitting your advance payment request in most circumstances
    6. Follow the Advance Payment Regulations: advance payment regulations (#316.1)
    7. Email Advance Payment Expense Documentation to CDFA: shortly after spending the advance, email advance payment expense documentation about how you spent the advance to cafarmtoschool@cdfa.ca.gov. Documentation should include:
      1. Itemized expenses (as listed in approved budget)
      2. Accompanying proof of payment
Allowable Costs

How to determine if a cost is allowable:

  • Your agreement budget: outlines what the approved allowable costs are for your grant project.
  • The Request for Applications (RFA): provides general guidance about allowable costs on pages 22–35.
  • Ask us! When in doubt, email the CDFA Farm to School Team at cafarmtoschool@cdfa.ca.gov before making a purchase.

Review each of the related budget category sections below for additional details and guidance.
CA Food Procurement Costs

Proof of Payment Templates and Documentation:

  • TRACK 1: Download and complete the Track 1 Procurement Metrics Worksheet
    • NOTE: Please download and complete a NEW worksheet each time
    • Retain a copy of the completed worksheet and related copies of all invoices from your food vendors on file for auditing purposes. Additionally, retain documentation on file that verifies that each item in the worksheet is California grown or produced.
  • TRACK 2: Compile receipts from each food vendor documenting each individual item purchased and the dollar amount for each
    • NOTE: In Track 2, CA Food Procurement Costs for student education, but not for school meals, are allowable. Please see the RFA, pages 24-27 for details.
  • TRACK 3: Download and complete the Track 3 Procurement Metrics Worksheet
    • NOTE: Please download and complete a NEW worksheet each time

Additional reminders & regulations to follow:

  • Review the Request for Applications (RFA): page 22 (Track 1), pages 25-26 (Track 2), pages 28-29 (Track 3)
  • CA Food Procurement Costs (for school meals or student education) must be CA grown or produced AND whole or minimally processed
    • Verification of California Grown: Recipients must verify with their vendor that each grant-funded item is California grown or produced AND retain documentation on file of this verification.
      • Verification documentation may include, but is not limited to: an indication of the food's farm origin on the invoice from the vendor or a written attestation from the vendor that the food is California grown or produced
    • Minimally Processed Definition per USDA: Minimal processing may include: (a) Those traditional processes used to make food edible or to preserve it or to make it safe for human consumption, e.g., smoking, roasting, freezing, drying, and fermenting, or (b) those physical processes that do not fundamentally alter the raw product or that only separate a whole, intact food into component parts, e.g., grinding meat, separating eggs into albumen and yolk, and pressing fruits to produce juices.
    • Grains, Dairy, and Meat/Poultry Products: Please note that although the following products may not fit the USDA definition of minimally processed, they are allowable purchases through Tracks 1, 2, and 3 of the 2023-24 CA Farm to School Incubator Grant Program and the CDFA will collaborate with the working group mentioned in the 2023-24 Request for Applications (RFA) to determine if there should be any additional parameters around these foods:
      • Yogurt and cheese dairy products that are 100% produced, processed, and manufactured in California are allowable. Please note that California produced fluid milk and fluid milk substitutes are unallowable.
      • Whole grain-rich flours and other whole grain-rich products that are 100% grown, milled, processed, and manufactured in California are allowable. In alignment with the USDA, whole grain-rich means that at least 50 to 100% of the grains in the product are whole grains, and the remaining grain, if any, must be enriched.
      • Meat and poultry products that consist of 100% California raised meat or poultry, that include no more additional ingredients than salt and pepper, and that if minimally processed (e.g., ground, frozen, dried, smoked, roasted), are 100% processed in California are allowable.
        • If the product arrives pre-cooked (e.g., a pre-cooked ground beef patty), then this may be allowable if the pre-cooking also occurred in California and pending a reasonable justification from the grant recipient to explain why it is necessary to purchase a pre-cooked rather than raw product; allowability is subject to CDFA approval.
        • If the product includes supplemental ingredients (e.g., spices), then the CDFA will consider such products on a case-by-case basis and allowability is subject to CDFA approval. Such products may be allowable if the primary ingredient is the 100% California raised meat or poultry, if the supplemental ingredients are not synthetic additives or preservatives, if the supplemental ingredients could potentially be found in a home kitchen, and if the product manufacturing occurred in California.
  • Non-CA grown and more-than-minimally processed foods are allowable as supplies if used in an educational recipe/lesson plan that features CA grown or produced, whole or minimally processed foods (must demonstrate this in invoice submission)
  • Important Notes:
    • DoD Fresh procurement is not reimbursable
    • If you are interested in procuring juice or juice products with grant funds, please reach out to the CDFA Farm to School Team at cafarmtoschool@cdfa.ca.gov before making such a purchase. Juice will be considered for reimbursement on a case-by-case basis.
    • California-raised and -produced, raw ground beef patties that contain no more additional ingredients than salt and pepper are allowable.
      • If these patties arrive pre-cooked, then this may be allowable, if the pre-cooking also occurred in California and pending a reasonable justification from the grant recipient to explain why it is necessary to purchase pre-cooked rather than raw patties; allowability is subject to CDFA approval.
    • When purchasing product from a broadline distributor: if the food producer that produced the item is unknown, then the CDFA may disallow the cost if this type of purchasing does not align with the grant recipient's scope of work and/or budget. Please reach out to the CDFA Farm to School Team at cafarmtoschool@cdfa.ca.gov with any questions.
Equipment, Infrastructure, Materials, and Supplies
  • Proof of Payment Templates and Documentation:
    • ALL TRACKS: Compile paid invoices or receipts from each vendor documenting each individual item purchased and the dollar amount for each
    • For equipment purchases: In addition to compiling paid invoices or receipts, complete an Equipment Inventory Record. Please see below for additional details.
  • Additional reminders & regulations to follow:
    • What is Equipment?
      • Definition of Equipment (#303(29) of the CDFA grant regulations): Tangible personal property having a useful life of more than one year and a per-unit acquisition cost of $10,000 or more. The acquisition cost includes the cost of any necessary accessories and all incidental costs incurred to put the asset into place and ready for its intended use.
    • What is the Equipment Inventory Record?
      • Recipients must complete and submit an Equipment Inventory Record for each piece of grant-funded equipment that they purchase.
      • Why? The Equipment Inventory Record is based on two sections of the CDFA grant regulations:
        • 324.1 Property Records: Recipients shall maintain property records for equipment. At a minimum, property records shall include:
          • A description of the equipment.
          • A serial number or other identification number.
          • Identification of the grant program and grant agreement number under which the equipment is acquired.
          • The acquisition date.
          • The acquisition cost of the equipment, including the cost of any necessary accessories and all incidental costs incurred to put the asset into place and ready for its intended use.
          • The location, use and condition of the equipment.
          • Any ultimate disposition information including date of disposal and sale price of the equipment.
        • 324.2 Disposition of Equipment:
          • If equipment purchased during the term of the grant has a fair market value of less than $10,000 at the close of a grant agreement, it is no longer considered equipment and is not subject to the requirements governing equipment.
          • If the fair market value is $10,000 or more at the close of the grant agreement, the use, management, and disposition of the equipment is subject to approval by the Department. These requirements apply until the fair market value of the equipment is $10,000 or less.
          • A request for disposition of equipment shall be submitted to the Department for approval. The request shall include:
          • The current fair market value of the equipment.
          • A description of the proposed disposition.
          • The signature of an authorized representative.
          • Requests shall be approved or denied, or an alternate disposition offered, by the Department no later than 30 business days from the date the request for disposition is received.
    • How to complete and submit an Equipment Inventory Record:
      • Section 1: Complete Section 1 of the Equipment Inventory Record upon purchasing a piece of equipment with grant funds. Submit this form (Section 1 only) to the CDFA Farm to School Program when you either: (a) submit a reimbursement request for the equipment, or (b) submit advance payment expense documentation for the equipment.
        • NOTE: please also submit proof of payment for the equipment.
      • Section 2: Complete Section 2 of each Equipment Inventory Record at the end of the grant agreement term. Submit each Equipment Inventory Record (Sections 1 & 2) to the CDFA Farm to School Program when you submit your final invoice.
      • Section 3: When disposing of equipment, complete Section 3 after contacting the CDFA Farm to School Program for disposition of equipment.
    • IMPORTANT NOTE about Equipment Costs:
      • Lease-to-own costs are unallowable (#22 of the CDFA list of allowable and unallowable costs):
        • Recipients may not use grant funds to lease-to-own a piece of equipment.
        • Additionally, if a Recipient is using grant funds to cover the partial cost of a piece of equipment, then they may not finance or take out a loan for the remaining cost of that equipment.
          • However, it is allowable for a Recipient to cover the remaining cost of the equipment out of pocket.
Staff/Labor Costs

Proof of Payment Templates and Documentation:

  • ALL TRACKS: Download and complete the Personnel Time Report Template – Option 1, Option 2, or Option 3
    • Please include sufficient detail about how staff worked on the project in the time reports

Additional reminders & regulations to follow:

Certification, Licensure, Insurance, Food Safety Costs

Proof of Payment Templates and Documentation:

  • TRACK 4: Compile paid invoices, receipts, or other applicable proof of payment to document each cost
Travel Costs

Proof of Payment Templates and Documentation:

  • ALL TRACKS: Compile all receipts for travel expenses (e.g., parking receipts, toll receipts, paid invoices or receipts for bus trips, car rental receipt, hotel check out receipt, etc.)

Additional reminders & regulations to follow:

  • Review the travel regulations (#322, 322.1, 322.3)
  • The State is adopting the federal M&IE and lodging rates established by the federal GSA. Please review the CalHR travel page for current state travel rates (meal and incidental, vehicle mileage, lodging)
  • If the lodging rate for the stay is over the CalHR designated rate, an Excess Lodging Request form must be submitted to cafarmtoschool@cdfa.ca.gov at least 2 weeks before the trip to request approval for reimbursement at that higher rate. Otherwise CDFA can only reimburse up to the state designated rate amount.
Contractual Costs

Proof of Payment Templates and Documentation:

  • ALL TRACKS: Compile paid invoices or receipts from the contractor documenting and itemizing the contractual labor costs, costs of contractual services, or other contractual costs

Additional reminders & regulations to follow:
Other Costs
  • ALL TRACKS: Compile paid invoices, receipts, or other applicable proof of payment to document each cost
Indirect Costs
  • ALL TRACKS: No proof of payment is needed for indirect costs; however, please keep documentation on file supporting calculation or methodology for determining indirect costs
Reporting/Evaluation Requirements

The CDFA requires grant recipients of the 2023-24 CA Farm to School Incubator Grant Program to complete the following reporting and evaluation components.

  • Timeline: see due dates below
  • NOTE: The CDFA reserves the right to withhold reimbursement / advance payment for projects that are not up-to-date with their grant reporting.
  • Reporting Requirements:
    • Beginning Interviews: to review the project plan, confirm roles, and provide early technical support to awarded projects.
      • Regional staff members will reach out to schedule these in person meetings in the first quarter of the grant term.
    • Pre-survey (ALL TRACKS): summarize and quantify pre-project farm to school activities
      • How to Submit:
        • The CDFA will email you your online pre-survey
        • Respond to the pre-survey questions
        • Submit the online survey
        • The CDFA and the external evaluation team will have access to your pre-survey
    • Quarterly Check-in Surveys (ALL TRACKS): summarize project progress, successes, and challenges
      • Due Date: 30 calendar days after the end of each quarter
      • How to Submit:
        • The CDFA will email you your online check-in survey each quarter
        • Respond to the quarterly check-in questions
        • Submit the online quarterly check-in
        • The CDFA and the external evaluation team will have access to your quarterly check-in
    • Annual Procurement Check-in (TRACKS 1 & 3 ONLY): submit data about CA food procurement practices
      • Due Date: annually for the duration of the grant and the following year after the end of the project term; specific due dates TBD
    • Final Interview (ALL TRACKS): discuss project successes, challenges, and other relevant information
      • Due Date: to be scheduled after your grant term concludes
    • Farm-Level Data (TRACKS 1, 2, & 3 ONLY): If applicable, grant recipients must request farm-level data and velocity reports from distributors to help track the farm-level impacts of farm to school project activities. Additionally, Track 1 and 3 grant recipients procuring California grown or produced foods with grant funds must make efforts to include farm-level data when completing the CDFA food procurement worksheets. The External Evaluation Team will provide support and additional guidance for these requests to relieve the reporting burden on grant recipients.
      • Due Date: variable; food procurement worksheet is due each time Track 1 and 3 recipients submit an invoice to the CDFA for reimbursement that includes CA Food Procurement Costs
    • External Program Evaluation (ALL TRACKS): participate in external evaluation activities for this grant program
      • Due Date: ongoing; the CDFA and/or external evaluation team will reach out to you about external evaluation activities
Revision Requests

Grant recipients may submit Scope of Work and/or Budget revision requests to the CDFA.

All budget revisions need to be finalized with CDFA before the expenses occur. Any expenditures that take place before a budget revision is finalized will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis

Revision Request Process:

  • Timeline: The revision request due date is at least 30 calendar days before the requested implementation date.
  • IMPORTANT: All revisions to the Scope of Work and Budget are subject to CDFA approval. Grant recipients may not implement proposed revisions until the CDFA has approved the revisions.
  • Revision Request Steps:
    1. Complete Revision Request Template: download and complete the applicable template(s) below:
      • Template links coming soon. In the meantime, please email cafarmtoschool@cdfa.ca.gov with the request and justification for the change.
    2. Email Revision Request to CDFA: email your completed revision request template(s) to cafarmtoschool@cdfa.ca.gov
    3. The CDFA will review and, at its discretion, may approve, deny, or request additional information
    4. The CDFA will let you know the status – approved, denied, or additional information needed
      • NOTE: If you haven't received a notification about the status of your revision request 10 business days after you submitted your request, please email us at cafarmtoschool@cdfa.ca.gov
Logos

Grant recipients may not use the CDFA logo. However, recipients may use either of the following:
Opportunities for Collaboration and Support

The CDFA Farm to School Team is excited to collaborate with you and support your farm to school efforts throughout the grant term. Here are a few opportunities for collaboration and support:
Contact Us

We’re here to help! Please reach out to our CDFA Farm to School Team if you have any questions.

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Questions?

Contact our Farm to School team at cafarmtoschool@cdfa.ca.gov