The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES a $99,814 grant to continue supporting the Farm-to-School program. The investment will help promote healthy eating habits among students and increase agricultural awareness in schools and local communities.
“This USDA Farm to School funding is a tremendous asset for our school districts and students. Beyond providing more fresh, locally-sourced food in our cafeterias, it will enable us to expand educational programs on sustainable agriculture, support a greater number of local farmers, and create more hands-on learning opportunities,” said Artie Frego, Director of Food Services at SLL BOCES. This funding will also help us improve overall nutrition education and foster stronger community connections.”
Students will have the opportunity to engage in hands-on activities such as planting, watering, and processing of locally grown fruits and vegetables at the Harvest Kitchen, a commercial value-added space located at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Learning Farm in Canton. This initiative and partnership are made possible through the Farm-to-school grant funding.
Currently, BOCES partners with more than a dozen farms and producers from all over St. Lawrence County and beyond for farm-fresh fruit, vegetables and meat products including beef and pork. These are offered as a part of meals every day in schools served by the BOCES Shared Food Service.
For instance, in September, the SLL BOCES-supported Shared Food Service program provided school districts with over 17,920 ears of corn delivered from Phillips Ag Farm in Heuvelton and Martin’s Farmstand in Potsdam. Additionally, BOCES provided 2,800 pounds of diced peppers, onions and tomatoes for various recipes from Martins Farmstand, and 5,075 pounds of apple slices from Parishville Center Orchards as part of the Farm to School initiative.
The grant will be administered by SLL BOCES Central Food Management in collaboration with the Cornell Cooperative Extension and Big Spoon Kitchen. This funding is part of the larger $14.3 million in Patrick Leahy Farm-to-School Grants awarded to 154 projects across 43 states. Together, these organizations will continue to work to implement the program across multiple school districts, ensuring that students have access to fresh, locally sourced meat and produce.
