The Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission, a Division of the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland is calling for letters of participation from one of the five Southern Maryland county school systems to join a new 24-month pilot program aimed at streamlining local food sourcing for school meals, with submissions due by 6 p.m. Dec. 4, 2025. The initiative, titled “From Field to Fork: Strengthening Farmer–School Partnerships,” is funded through the USDA’s Patrick Leahy Farm-to-School Grant Program and seeks to eliminate operational barriers that hinder school Child Nutrition Programs from buying fresh, local produce from area farmers. SMADC, a division of the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland, will submit the full grant application to the USDA on Dec. 5, apologizing for the tight turnaround but emphasizing the need for swift commitments. The project targets critical supply chain issues, including inadequate infrastructure, complex procurement processes and challenges in aggregating and distributing local foods. It will provide funding for specialized staffing to create a simplified, compliant procurement model, along with upgrades to farmer production, aggregation and distribution systems. The goal is a more efficient local food supply chain that boosts farm-to-school meals, improves child nutrition and supports regional agriculture economically. Eligible partners must […]
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