Get Up to $4,000 to Bring Local Food to Students!
The Cost Share Program provides funding to schools, farmers, and food producers so more students can enjoy fresh, local food.
What is the Cost Share Program?
We help cover the real costs of getting fresh food from local farms to school meal trays. By reimbursing costs related to food safety certifications, equipment for serving fresh, local foods, and staff training and audits, we aim to make these investments more accessible to schools, farmers, and food producers across Ohio.
Serve more local foods in your school kitchens. Sell more local foods grown and produced in Ohio. We’ll help you get there. Scroll to get started.
schools
What: Helps local schools purchase the equipment they need to prepare, serve, and store local foods.
Examples of reimbursable items:
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- Salad spinners
- Robot Coupe food processors
- Herb shears
- Mobile shelving
- And more
Who: Schools in Ohio with high participation in free and reduced-priced meals that are interested in serving local foods.
How: Must participate in a Farm to School bid program or purchase local and regional foods direct from a local farm or food producer.
producers
What: Helps farmers and food producers prepare for third-party audits, food safety certifications, and requirements for entering the school supply chain.
Examples of reimbursable costs:
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- Food safety audit
- Food safety audit consultation
- Small equipment to help you meet food safety standards.
Who: Small and medium-sized farmers and food producers with little to no experience in the school food supply chain that are interested in selling to schools.
How: Must commit to selling to schools within two school years.
Applications for schools are currently paused as we work to secure additional funding. Sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of this page to receive alerts about the application reopening.
Reimbursement covers up to 75% of eligible costs, with a $4,000 maximum.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis while funds are available. Applications must be approved before reimbursement is processed for payment.
ready to get started?
Schedule a free, one-on-one consult with a team member to see if you’re eligible and get your questions answered.
Get the Equipment & Training You Need the Easy Way
Here’s why schools, farmers, and food producers take part in the cost share program:
Funding is ready now:
Get reimbursed quickly
Hands-on support:
Our team helps you every step of the way
Join a trusted network:
Connect with 70+ school districts and 25+ local farmers and food producers
Make an impact:
Help students eat better while boosting your bottom line
The funding helped us purchase a more accurate pH meter for our quality control lab. That might sound like a small upgrade, but for a dairy like ours, it’s a big deal. It’s given our team new precision in tracking the cultures that make our yogurt so distinct, resulting in greater consistency, better flavor, and longer shelf life. It’s one of those quiet improvements that touches nearly every part of production.
Celeste Bennett, General Manager, Snowville Creamery
I purchased salad spinners and herb shearers for each building. We will be incorporating all hydroponic head lettuce this year and also making our own salad dressings using fresh herbs.
Jennifer Rex, Food Service Director, Plain Local Schools
It [the Cost Share Program] aligned with our mission to build a local food economy rooted in community, not dependency. As a small urban farm in Cleveland’s Mt. Pleasant neighborhood, our goal has always been to strengthen access to healthy, locally grown food while supporting young people to see agriculture as a viable career path. The cost share program offered a pathway to scale our operations sustainably and connect our produce directly with institutions like schools that serve our community every day.
Shirley Bell-Wheeler, Executive Officer, RevLove Urban Farm
Talk to Our Team for Free. Book a Consult!
Speak with a team member during a free 1:1 consultation. They’ll help you understand the process, confirm eligibility, and start your application.
No pressure. No prep required. Just bring your goals and we’ll help with the rest!