Indigenous Foodways in Schools Grants

These Indigenous Foodways in Schools Grants will provide funding for Indigenous school communities throughout Canada to support their long-term community visions of Indigenous food security and food sovereignty that are implemented in the school setting. 

They aim to enhance the ability of school communities to:

• Buy infrastructure and equipment (e.g. canning and dehydrating equipment, refrigerators and freezers, fishing rods, deer driers, gardens and greenhouses).
• Harvest, fish, butcher, filet, grow, preserve, prepare, and serve more culturally relevant and other nourishing food to K-12 students. 
• Teach about and weave Indigenous foods, foodways, worldviews, and approaches into daily practices at school including an emphasis on relationships, reciprocity, and connections to the land. 
• Connect Elders, Knowledge Keepers, family members and other community members to the school and students.
• Support land-based learning. 
• Support the social development of children and youth through land-based activities relating to food, intergenerational learning, mentorship opportunities and other meaningful connection.

Schools that receive a grant will join a growing community of more than 230 previous grant recipients, including many from Indigenous school communities. School communities that receive grants will also be provided resources, training and ongoing technical support from the Farm to Cafeteria Canada team and its partners. 

Learn more about Indigenous Food Sovereignty from
the Indigenous Food Systems Network and La Via Campesina.

Grants may be implemented in any school or schools (kindergarten to grade 12) in Canada that are located in Indigenous communities or that serve a high proportion of Indigenous students. This includes schools in rural, remote and urban settings. 

Schools that have only received a previous Farm to Cafeteria Canada seed grant are still eligible to apply. Schools that have previously received a Farm to School Canada Grant are eligible to apply if they received funding before 2022.

Any school or community organization in Canada can apply for a grant as long as they can:

1. Show a clear connection to one or more schools in the community, and 
2. Commit to using the funds to support Indigenous food security and food sovereignty in the school setting. (Those selected to receive a grant will be asked to enter into a contribution agreement confirming that the funds will be used for the idea proposed.)