SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Farm to School programs can improve the health of students while strengthening the local agricultural economy by incentivizing schools to bring New York food products into cafeterias. Yet, getting local products into K-12 cafeterias can be challenging for farmers and producers.
American Farmland Trust’s collaborative Farm to Institution New York State (FINYS) initiative is offering two in-person trainings for producers in the Hudson Valley on March 28th, and in Central New York on April 20th, in partnership with Cornell Harvest New York and New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. The project will deliver the USDA Farm-to-School Producer Training, Bringing the Farm to School, piloted for 50 farmers across the state.
Stephanie Hsu, FINYS Manager at American Farmland Trust, said, “American Farmland Trust looks forward to partnering with New York Agriculture and Markets and Cornell Harvest NY to offer Bringing the Farm to School producer trainings to our regional farmers and producers. The training will expand market opportunities for farmers and bridge the gap between producers and institutions, making local food more accessible to our communities across the state. Farm to school is a win-win for everyone: students and families enjoy nutritious, local food; farmers gain access to a steady market for their products; and money spent by K-12 schools is invested back into local communities.”
The comprehensive training curriculum offers producers experiential, peer-led, and action-oriented learning, and is best suited to established producers who are ready to begin selling to schools. Training will provide a pathway for New York farmers and producers to understand how collaborative efforts between school districts and producers generate new partnerships, revenue streams and local, sustainable food systems.
Learn more about the Bringing the Farm to School Producer Trainings and sign up to join the next session in Central New York on April 20th. Trainings include a $100 participation stipend, and spots are limited to 25 participants.
Farm to Institution New York State (FINYS) is a collaborative initiative led by American Farmland Trust to dramatically expand the volume of food grown on local farms that is served in institutions across New York. Learn more about Farm to Institution New York State at www.finys.org.
–American Farmland Trust