Ontario County
Submit your own program for Ontario County
Get Up! Fuel Up! School Food Independence Committee
Listed Date: July 27th, 2010
Contact
Alyvia Burkey, MS, CHES
Community Health Educator, Thompson Health
Canandaigua, NY, 14424
alyvia.burkey@thompsonhealth.org
585-396-6529
Project Background
Our committee was formed out of a joint motivation between a local school food service director and a community health educator to connect classroom food education with school cafeteria offerings.
Project Objectives
To share ideas, farm to school contacts and other resources to assist our Ontario County School Districts in providing as many local, whole food options to students as possible. In so doing, we will attempt to bridge the gap between classroom food and nutrition education and cafeteria offerings.
Primary activities include:
1.Offer one local, plant-based menu item at each participating school district by the end of 2010.
This goal will be achieved through:
- Participation in culinary training on preparation of meals using local, seasonal produce.
- Visiting two local farms that are interested in farm to school business in order to build rapport, develop product knowledge, and establish optimal procurement practices.
- Securing a farm-to-school connection which will provide local, healthy, whole food ingredients for the food service program in each participating school district in 2010 and beyond.
2.Effectively promote and sell one local, plant-based menu item to the primary and/or elementary students at each participating school district by the end of 2010.
This goal will be achieved through:
- Sampling the plant-based menu item in the primary and/or elementary cafeterias and gathering student feedback prior to offering it on a regular basis.
- Developing and implementing classroom education to promote the health benefits of the menu item and provide an additional opportunity for sampling for a portion of the primary and/or elementary students at each participating school district.
Featured NYS Foods
School food service programs are eligible to receive reimbursement for purchasing a variety of local foods. We have yet to decide which foods will be utilized in our menu planning.
Food Procurement Details
Some products have to be picked up from the farm and others are delivered.
Most Rewarding Experience
The collective desire to provide fresh and healthy whole-food options to our local school children regardless of the challenges involved.
Challenges
Funding is a huge challenge; however, we've been lucky to have a grant through NYS Rural Health.
Plans For The Future
To continue our committee work and offer additional local farm foods and menu items to our local schools.
Victor Central School
Listed Date: July 31st, 2008
Contact:
Janet Elman, Director of Food Services
Victor Central School District
Elmanj@victorschools.org
585-924-3252 x 5436 (phone)
Project Objectives:
Our goal is to make as many local connections as possible in maximizing the availability of locally grown fruits and vegetables. The school's location has made it fairly easy to connect with some of the local farmers, since one is essentially just a few miles away and another would tie in the delivery to my school weekly right before his being at the local village's Farmer's Market. Others would be able to deliver when they were coming through the area. I took the attitude that I would try to accommodate the farmer by utilizing the products that he would have available that week and also to try to give greater notice on items that I knew I was looking for to see if he could accommodate me. Flexibility was key and having a back-up with a local purveyor is really essential. Even though the season is short I was able to increase and maximize on most of what was available to me over the last two years.
Plans for the Future:
I hope to continue along the same path and hopefully forge new relationships with other farms.
Project Partners:
Seeking Common Ground, Victor Apple Farm, Gale-Wyn Farm, Barron's Pratt Barn Vineyard, Happy Goat Farm, Bob-Mar Farm
Expanding Connections: Marketing Farm to Cafeteria in the Finger Lakes Foodshed
Listed Date: July 31st, 2008
Contact:
Deborah Muntner, Farm to Cafeteria Coordinator
Seeking Common Ground, Canandaigua
dmuntner@hotmail.com
585-393-9073 (phone)
Project Objectives:
Our objective is to facilitate purchasing connections between the cafeterias and farms in our region. Our ultimate goal is for local purchasing to become the norm, to allow for better access to fresh fruit and vegetables in our area cafeterias, and for such a system to function independent of our assistance.
We recently held a Spring Harvest Day at seven cafeterias in Ontario County. The participating cafeterias purchased local strawberries and dairy and served them on the same day. We had posters and fliers made up to inform the diners of the food they were eating, the farms the food came from, and the other cafeterias involved. This showcased the seasonal availability of strawberries and included the diners in a special event, while providing a healthy and delicious addition to lunch.
Though one or two cafeterias had purchased local strawberries in the past, for most, new purchasing relationships were formed, and we hope that they will continue year after year.
Plans for the Future:
We plan to facilitate an Autumn Harvest Day in early October 2008 to coincide with the NY Harvest for Kids Week. Again, we will feature a seasonal menu item and have it served in cafeterias across the county and possibly outside of the county. We would like to increase the number of participating cafeterias and will spread the word through mailings and fliers, as well as direct contact with new institutions. We will also work harder to obtain media coverage of the event, to promote local foods and the initiative taking place.
Project Partners:
Deb Denome (Seeking Common Ground), Pat Pavelsky (Ontario County Cornell Cooperative Extension), Chris Luley (Happy Goat Farm), Melinda Kinnear (Rosecrest Farm), Amy Morrisey (Misty Meadows Farm), Todd Fowler (Food Service Director, Bloomfield Central School).
The Seek Common Ground Farm to Cafeteria Program works closely with the Ontario County Cornell Cooperative Extension. We are currently funded through a Northeast SARE grant, a Mary Clark Thompson Community Health Grant, and a contribution from John and Jo Ingles.
Project Website:
www.seekingcommonground.org
Seeking Common Ground
Project Name:
Seeking Common Ground
Expanding Connections:
Marketing Farm to Cafeteria in the Finger Lakes Foodshed
Project Website:
www.seekingcommonground.org
Name: Deborah Muntner
Title: Farm To Cafeteria Coordinator
Affiliation: Seeking Common Ground, a not-for-profit educational organization
Email: dmuntner@hotmail.com
Phone: 585-393-9073
Project Partners: Deb Denome, Seeking Common Ground Pat Pavelsky, Ontario County Cornell Cooperative Extension Chris Luley, Happy Goat Farm Melinda Kinnear, Rosecrest Farm Amy Morrisey, Misty Meadows Farm Todd Fowler, Food Service Director, Bloomfield Central School The Seeking Common Ground Farm to Cafeteria Program works closely with the Ontario County Cornell Cooperative Extension. We are currently funded through a Northeast SARE grant, a Mary Clark Thompson Community Health Grant, and a contribution from John and Jo Ingles.
Project Objectives: Our objective is to facilitate purchasing connections between the cafeterias and farms in our region. Our ultimate goal is for local purchasing to become the norm, to allow for better access to fresh fruit and vegetables in our area cafeterias, and for such a system to function independent of our assistance. We recently held a Spring Harvest Day at seven cafeterias in Ontario County. The participating cafeterias purchased local strawberries and dairy and served them on the same day. We had posters and fliers made up to inform the diners of the food they were eating, the farms the food came from, and the other cafeterias involved. This showcased the seasonal availability of strawberries and included the diners in a special event, while providing a healthy and delicious addition to lunch. Though one or two cafeterias had purchased local strawberries in the past, for most, new purchasing relationships were formed, and we hope that they will continue year after year.
Plans For The Future: We plan to facilitate an Autumn Harvest Day in early October, 2008 to coincide with the NY Harvest for Kids Week. Again, we will feature a seasonal menu item and have it served in cafeterias across the county, and possibly outside of the county. We would like to increase the number of participating cafeterias and will spread the word through mailings and fliers, as well as direct contact with new institutions. We will also work harder to obtain media coverage of the event, to promote local foods and the initiative taking place. Additional Information:
Bloomfield Central School Project
Project Name: Bloomfield Central School Project
Name: Todd Fowler
Title: Food Service Director
Affiliation: NYS FTS coordinating committee, NYSNA, Foodshed
Email: tfowler@bloomfieldcsd.org
Phone: 585-657-6121 x1151
Project Partners: White's Farm Phil Munson, Gale-Wyn Farms Chris Luley, Happy Goat Farm Barron's Pratt Barn and Vineyard Red Jacket Orchards Canandaigua Lake Foodshed Project
Goal: To increase consumption of fresh, preferably raw or minimally processed fruits and vegetables. Accomplished by increasing availability of fresh local produce purchased direct from local farms. Instituted a Farmers' Market Line in each school offering made to order entrees(we serve, not self serve) Experienced increase in participation Experienced improved perception of total program. June, Sept, Oct, Nov, were easy months to procure fresh local produce, then it becomes increasingly more difficult, but not impossible.
Plans For The Future: More items as they become available More recipes, too perhaps more sources, although we don't struggle in that area.
Additional Information: It's easy: Find a farmer...buy a vegetable That's Farm to School