Fresh Bites: NY 30% Incentive Program

special edition NY 30% incentive program

SPECIAL EDITION 2021

30% Incentive Program → Resources → Documentation → Marketing & MORE!

NY Celebrates Farm to School

The purpose of this special edition is to encourage more districts to participate in the NY 30% Incentive Program! This issue

NY Farm to School Video

is a collection of articles, videos, and podcasts all designed to help you get started.

Look for this to listen to podcasts! Q U I C K T I P :

IN THIS ISSUE

What is the 30% Incentive Program? Page 4

This edition of Fresh Bites has been sponsored by

The New York State Farm to School Program Work Team was formed to connect and support those working to advance farm to school in New York through research and education, shared learning, collaboration, and peer support. The team is hosted by Cornell University and its members include Extension educators, school food service staff, farmers, non-profits, government and non-government agencies, food hubs, F2S coordinators, and others working on F2S. Click here to learn more.

30% Rules & Documentation Page 6

Current Participants

FreshBites A NYSNA PUBLICATION Ashleigh Roche, MBA Membership & Communications Coordinator Ashleigh@nyschoolnutrition.org

Resources

Marketing

21 Executive Park Drive Clifton Park, NY 12065 (518) 446-9061

Farm to School for the

Hunger Solutions NY, NYS School Boards Association, and ASBO were at the table with us. Our message was clear - our kids need more locally grown food, and our farmers need our business! We pushed for the incentive program to help revitalize the economy, without being a tax credit or a handout. Guess what folks - we did it! We made history in New York State in 2018 when the Governor’s No Student Hungry Initiative included our 30% Incentive Program and was funded in the state budget with support from the legislature! Now that we had the money lined up, we next needed to get the districts on board. Many of the coalition partners helped us encourage schools to participate and showcase the benefits of farm to school programs including: • Public health • Healthy food access • Economic impact and job creation • Student benefits: higher test scores, knowledge of agriculture, gardening, healthy eating, nutrition, etc. After the first year of the program, American Farmland Trust surveyed over 300 school Foodservice Authorities (SFAs) and published a report on their findings. Some key takeaways in their executive summary included: • While many schools saw 30% as a challenge, 49 SFAs applied to the New York State Education Department for the extra reimbursement claiming they reached 30% within just one year. This includes Buffalo Public Schools, the second largest district in the state. • 72% of schools felt optimistic that with the right support they would achieve 30% within five years. • Achieving this outcome would cause schools to spend nearly $150 million at New York farms over the next five years while increasing access to healthy, New York grown food for almost 700,000 K–12 students by 2024. • Conservatively, this would generate over $210 million in economic impact statewide while costing the state just over $94 million over the course of five years in reimbursement and support.

Industry partners were also getting involved and were creating new products which would qualify for the incentive program as well. We are proud to have New York yogurt, string cheese, potato chips, french fries, grape juice, hot dogs, cider, granola, sausage – the list just keeps growing! In Year 2 we were all hit with this crazy pandemic that turned our world upside down. I’m sure everyone can attest to the fact that our districts were hit hard while everyone went into emergency feeding mode. It’s interesting to note that although the pandemic caused such a disruption, there were still schools that were actively striving for the 30% Incentive Program, and 62 SFAs applied in Year 2. Our goal is to see participation continue to grow each year, and we have the best possible partners advocating for the continuation of this program. There are so many resources available now to help districts and industry partners participate. Stay tuned to see how successful this program becomes for Years 3 and beyond! • 30% NYS Initiative: 30% NYS Initiative: Opportunities, Barriers, and Pathways to Success • The Economic Implications of Using New York State Farm Products in School Lunches from Community and Rural Development Institute (CaRDI), Cornell University • Growing Opportunity for Farm to School Report from Farm to Institution New York State • Growing Resilience: Unlocking the Potential of Farm to School to Strengthen the Economy, Support New York Farms, and Improve Student Health in the Face of New Challenges from Farm to Institution New York State • The Public Plate In New York State: Growing Health, Farms And Jobs With Local Food from New York Academy of Medicine Additional References and Research:

By Jennifer Martin, MBA, CAE NYSNA Executive Director

New York State is a leader in the nation with farm to school programs. We even have legislation in place to award districts financially which commit to serving the freshest foods possible to their students. The New York 30% Incentive Program is not only great for students, but this is also helping local farmers, the local economy, and even has a positive impact on the environment! So, what is this 30% incentive program? It is just that - an incentive . An incentive to encourage schools to buy foods that have been grown, raised and or processed in New York State. Basically, if 30% of the foods you purchase for reimbursable lunches come from NYS you will receive an additional 19 cents reimbursement per lunch in the following school year. How did the 30% incentive program come about? The New York School Nutrition Association (NYSNA) asked the state for an increase to the reimbursement rate for years and it was just not happening. The current NYS reimbursement rate is $0.06 per meal – and that has not changed in well over 40 years. Put it this way, the last time the reimbursement rate was increased the minimum wage was $2.65, Jimmy Carter was president, and a ticket to the original Star Wars movie was $2.23! And I do not need to remind all of you that food costs, in addition to supplies, labor, utilities, and staff benefits certainly has not remained stagnant during all of those many decades. Talk about an industry being forced to continuously do more with less, geez. So, in 2015 we decided to get creative to find a way to get the money. What did we know? • The state was not going to just hand out more money – there needed to be a give and take approach. • Farm to school was becoming increasingly popular (and NYS is a huge agriculture state). • Two of the members on our Public Policy and Legislation Committee were already working with local farmers within their districts to promote and support local agriculture.

• NYS elected officials were heavily promoting “Buy New York”, “Support New York” type initiatives… including the Governor. Our committee connected the dots and met with the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets and then started crafting an early version of what would later turn into the 30% Incentive Program. NYSNA advocated for the incentive for the first time in October of 2015, and although the reimbursement rate did not increase that year, we did see $750,000 in grant money established to be awarded for assistance with farm to school efforts. So, we kept tweaking and kept asking. The following year there was so much interest in these programs that the grant money was increased to $1.5 million. Now that all of the pieces were coming together and the NYS budget was starting to reflect a greater interest in agriculture and the connection with schools, we just had to figure out what that selling point was going to be to convince them to finally increase those reimbursement rates. As it turns out, there were many other organizations advocating for NY agriculture in a variety of ways, and in 2017 these organizations came together and formed a coalition. The New York Grown Food for New York Kids is a coalition headed up by American Farmland Trust and is committed to increasing the availability of, and access to, healthy food grown in New York that is served to public schools across the state. As we geared up for NYSNA’s 2018 Legislative Action Conference, we now had nearly 70 school, food, farm, public health, economic development, environmental, and anti-hunger organizations and stakeholders throughout New York that supported the 30% program initiative. During our lobby day some of our partners, like American Farmland Trust, Farm Bureau,

JENNIFER MARTIN, MBA, CAE • NYSNA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jennifer has been in association management since 2011 and the Executive Director of NYSNA since 2014. Prior to working for NYSNA shewas the Executive Director of the NYS Builders Association Research &Education Foundation. She is a national 40 under 40 award winner, an amazing talent scout and an expert in the areas of administration, governance, iced coffee, and Harry Potter. Her keys to success can be summarized by the following phrases: “Work smarter, not harder;” “Be intentional;” and “Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude”.

FreshBites

SPECIAL EDITION

30% Rules and Documentation

Current Participants

Qualifying SFAs

30% Guidance and Documentation Requirements are available on the NYSED website

Addison CSD Akron CSD* Alfred-Almond CSD Allegany-Limestone CSD Argyle CSD Avoca CSD Barker CSD Bath CSD Berne-Knox-Westerlo CSD Binghamton City SD Bradford CSD Buffalo City SD* Campbell-Savona CSD Canaseraga CSD Canisteo-Greenwood CSD Cassadaga Valley CSD Chenango Forks CSD Chenango Valley CSD Corning City SD Depew UFSD* Deposit CSD Dundee CSD Elmira City SD Elmira Heights CSD Forestville CSD Franklinville CSD Genesee Valley CSD Hamburg CSD Hammondsport CSD Harpursville CSD Hornell City SD Horseheads CSD Ithaca City SD Jasper-Troupsburg CSD Johnson City CSD Lancaster CSD* Maine-Endwell CSD Newark Valley CSD Niskayuna CSD Odessa-Montour CSD

Helpful resources available on the website: • FAQ for 30% initiative during 2020-21 SY • 30% NYS initiative application for state subsidy • 30% calculation tool • Product formulation statement • 30% eligibility worksheet And More… DOCUMENTATION IS THE KEY! SFAs must have documentation for each food item contributing to the 30% initiative that reasonably demonstrates each food item meets the definition of a NYS food product. If SFAs are interested in applying for the NYS 30% initiative, it is essential to maintain proper documentation throughout the school year. This documentation may include but is not limited to: Solicitations, contracts, purchase orders, price lists, labels, invoices, receipts, NYS Product Lists, production records, l etters from a farm, vendor or distributor, records of child nutrition revenue and expenditures and Product Formulation statements for documenting processed NY state food products. It is imperative that SFAs keep all supporting documentation and upon request, SFAs are required to make all accounts and records pertaining to its school food service immediately available to USDA, NYSED or any other authorized entity, for audit or review. If the SFA cannot provide supporting documentation to reasonably demonstrate each food item is a NY food product and the supply food chain systems, SFAs may not qualify.

Oneida-Herkimer-Madison Boces serves 15 school districts including: Brookfield CSD Clinton CSD Frankfort Schuyler CSD Herkimer CSD Mount Markham CSD

30% INITIATIVE DEFINITIONS Any New York State (NYS) Food Product purchased and used in the reimbursable meal for the school lunch program may contribute toward the 30% NYS Initiative. A “New York State Food Product” is defined as: • A food item that is grown, harvested, or produced in New York State (NYS); or • A food item processed inside or outside NYS comprising over 51% agricultural raw materials grown, harvested, or produced in NYS, by weight or volume. “Producing” means the producing of food grown upon and/or harvested from the farm or waters through agricultural, horticultural, aquacultural, or dairying processes. Common Examples: Raw or whole fruits and vegetables Carrots, Apples, Broccoli, Cabbage, Tomatoes “Processing” means any alteration of a food product from its raw or original state to enhance its value or render it suitable for consumption. Examples of processing include, but are not limited to, butchering of meat or poultry, cooking, juicing, pasteurizing, peeling/ cutting, and/or packaging food products. Common Examples: Foods that have been chopped, peeled, frozen, etc. Beef, Milk, Cheese, Maple Syrup

New Hartford CSD New York Mills CSD Oriskany CSD Owen D. Young CSD Poland CSD Remsen CSD Richfield CSD Sauquoit CSD Waterville CSD Westmoreland CSD Owego-Apalachin CSD Prattsburgh CSD Schuylerville CSD Scio CSD* Susquehanna Valley CSD Tioga CSD

Trumansburg CSD Union-Endicott CSD Vestal CSD Watkins Glen CSD Waverly CSD Wellsville CSD* Whitesville CSD Whitney Point CSD

Wilson CSD* Windsor CSD

* Denotes SFAs that qualified in 2018-2019 and 2019-2020. All other SFAs qualified in just 2019-2020.

FreshBites

SPECIAL EDITION

Current Participants

What are ways that you market/promote your Farm to School program? • Social media • Menu signs • School website • N ewsletters

Program participants from Years 1 and 2 were surveyed about

30% Incentive Program Participant Testimonials

their experience with the NY 30% Incentive Program and they have provided

some valuable tips and resources. Here are some of the highlights!

“We worked with a local artist to develop Harvest of the month posters, newsletters and infographics. We participate in the NY Thursday menu campaign.” “Go for it! Most of the products are readily available now and with just a little extra paperwork to track dairy purchases, this program is worth it! Farm to School benefits the lives of students, their families and our farmers! Best of all - it is sustainable, which benefits our society.”

Why did you choose to participate in the 30% incentive program? • Help local farmers • Increased reimbursement • Local quality products • Incorporating NY grown foods • Educate students about local agriculture • More environmentally friendly purchases What resources did you use to help you participate? • Farm to School Coordinators and Partners • Cornell Cooperative Extension • BOCES

How did you find products to meet the 30% incentive program? • Networking with local vendors • Farm to School Coordinators • Farm to School partners • Reaching out to local farmers directly

- Bridget O’Brien Wood, SNS Buffalo City Public Schools

• Cornell / BOCES • NYSNA resources • Distributor sales representative

What advice, tips, or best practices would you give to directors that are considering the 30% incentive program? • Get out into the community • Start small • Talk to other districts • Utilize Farm to School Coordinators • Track everything/keep records • Invest in some big purchases (meat and cheese) • Use what you have • Have fun!

" Read labels and shop local." - Pam Drumm, Bradford CSD

What is the TOP selling Farm to School menu item that students enjoy the most? • Beef hot dogs • NY apples • Roasted potatoes

“Sourcing and Buying as much local product as I could and collaborating with our Farm to table coordinator, also bridging the gap with local farmers and other entrepreneurs in the area.”

- Lateef Clark Berne-Knox-Westerlo CSD

• Milk/ Y ogurt/ C heese • Chicken Mac & Cheese • Buffalo Chicken Dip • Meatloaf • Sweet corn • Local ice cream

“We team up with other organizations such as the Rural Health network of South Central NY/ Food and Health Network and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County.”

“Keep records and have fun with it.” - Joan Coleman, Whitesville CSD

- Annie Hudock, Broome Tioga BOCES

65% of respondents received grants or other funding to support Farm to school initiatives!

Photos credit: Rural Health Network of South Central NY as part of the Broome-Tioga BOCES Rock on Cafe Farm to School Program & NYSNA Member Districts

FreshBites

SPECIAL EDITION

Current Participants Podcasts

Current Participants Micro Math for 30%

By Rosemarie Hanson Trumansburg CSD

FreshBites fruit cost could be .10 if half the students select a NYS item and half choose a “free” Vegetables: In the fall, showcase vegetables that are available locally only for a short time, like cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, greens, broccoli, cauliflower, corn and zucchini. Potatoes, Cabbage, Onions, and Butternut Squash are inexpensive and available year-round. Kale, Carrots, and Beets are available most of the year. What if you committed to roasted, baked, mashed or steamed NY potatoes as the starchy vegetable each week? Kids like potatoes, and they are easy to store and available year-round. This will add .20 to your NYS bottom line without blowing your budget. Protein: NY is all about dairy products, and it’s pretty easy to add dairy to your menu, or to make sure your existing dairy products are from a NY supplier. NY Mozzarella is about $.30 per 2M/MA serving and can go on a pre-made pizza crust. This homemade pie can be put together for $.55, versus $.85 for a premade pizza. Kids love pizza. NY Cheddar is about the same price, and can go into Mexican entrees like quesadillas, or pasta dishes like Mac and Cheese. Other proteins available are NY Ground Beef and Hamburgers, NY Hot Dogs, NY Ground Pork Sausage, NY Tofu, and NY Beans to use as proteins. Offer a taco with NY Ground Beef - 1.5 ounces cooked plus ½ ounce NY cheddar for a total of $.67 for the 2 M/MA As a Food Service Director, I understand the challenges of staying within your budget when it comes to adding local foods to your menu. I often hear from other food service directors either that they can’t find enough products to make the 30% threshold, or that local or New York State products are too expensive. When looking at those big numbers in the “30% Calculator” on the Child Nutrition website, that 30% total can seem like a daunting number to reach. Sometimes it’s helpful to look at your menu costs both on a daily and weekly basis to develop a strategy for achieving the 30% threshold. I am going to lay out a simplified scenario of how you can reach the 30% threshold by making a few simple changes to your menu, but it’s based on some assumptions that might not hold true for every school district and every Director. Its purpose is more to show where you can make space in your menu for NY State foods in small increments that add up over time, and how you can utilize USDA foods and FFAVORS programs to keep your costs down. How can you serve enough NY foods to make the 30% threshold while still keeping within your food cost budget? Sometimes it’s helpful to look at your menu costs both on a daily and weekly basis. Let’s say that you can put out a meal for a $1.50 food cost per lunch. Let’s designate 20 cents for fruit, 20 cents for vegetables, 40 cents for M/MA, 20 cents for bread, and .25 cents for milk. To make the 30% threshold, you would have to spend $.45 per meal of that $1.50 on NYS foods. Let’s assume your milk is NYS and costs $.25. Assuming every student got milk with their lunch, that would leave you with only $.20 additional to spend on NYS foods. And if you spend this amount, you will get .19 cents back from NYS. This seems like a pretty good deal, right? Let’s look at all your components and see where there are opportunities to easily add NY foods: Fruit: In the fall, feature local melons, peaches, plums, and NY grapes while they last. Apples, Applesauce, Grape Juice are NYS fruits that are available year-round. These average around $.20 per serving. Not everyone will select one of these items. I balance these more expensive fruits with “free” USDA fruits, like frozen berries, orange juice, and canned fruit, or “free” fresh fruit through the FFAVORS program. Your average

Your daily “alternative lunches” can feature NY Dairy, too. We offer a “Bagel Lunch” every day that comes with a NYS string cheese stick and NY yogurt, as well as a fruit and NY yogurt parfait with granola. Grains: NY Grains have been a challenge to find. I do have access to NY wheat flour and cornmeal through Farmer Ground Flour and hope to incorporate them into grain-based desserts like black bean brownies and fruit cobbler. So let’s set up your starter 30% NYS 2 week menu: NY fruit $.10

Broome Tioga BOCES Cheryl Bilinski talks with Annie Hudock, Senior Food Service Director with Broome Tioga BOCES, about how multiple school districts under the management of a single BOCES pro- cure, serve, and promote NY State food products. She highlights: • BT BOCES’ approach to procurement, and how they work with partner farms to plan what will be served—and planted—for the upcoming school year • The importance of introducing students to new foods, and the role of taste tests in recipe development • BT BOCES’ solution to distribution challenges (hint: it involves a truck)

NY fruit $.10 NY fruit $.10 NY Beef Taco $.67

NY fruit $.10 Baked Potato.20 NY fruit $.10 NY Oven Fried Potatoes .20

NY fruit $.10 Weekly Pizza .30 NY fruit $.10 Weekly Pizza .30

Buffalo Public Schools Cheryl Bilinski talks with Bridget O’Brien Wood, Food Service Director with Buffalo Public Schools, about the use of geographic preference in their local procurement efforts. She highlights: • The importance of production planning with farm partners prior to drafting the bid specs to better understand what they have to offer and what their needs are. • The precise steps involved in releasing a local produce and protein bid. • How using geographic preference resulted in a cost savings on certain local produce items and increased the number of farm partners, noting particularly, that the district was able to purchase from buffalo-based urban farms for the first time. • How to strategically balance the use of local food items with USDA foods, considering balancing costs and menu planning.

NY fruit $.10 NY fruit $.10 NY fruit $.10

So, all we’ve done is made half of our fruit sales from NY apples, grape juice, or applesauce, added a weekly NY potato, and a weekly pizza, with a NY Beef taco every other week, for an additional NY food total of $.27 per day. How do we account for the extra money for the taco protein? We add some ”free” USDA proteins , such as chicken strips, turkey roast, oven roasted chicken, American Cheese, and pulled pork. And add some NY vegetables to go with it. And then as long as we have two USDA proteins in a week, we can afford some more NY Proteins.

NY fruit $.10 USDA Oven Roasted BBQ Chicken “Salt” Potato .20 WG Roll NY fruit $.10 Grilled USDA American cheese w/ Tomato Soup NY fruit $.10 USDA Pulled Pork Sandwich NY Slaw.20 NY fruit $.10 USDA Chicken Strips, Sweet and Sour Sauce, NY Pepper .20 , Brown Rice

NY fruit $.10 NY Beef Taco $.67 NY Lettuce, NY Tomato Salsa NY fruit $.10 USDA Chicken Strips, General Tso NY fruit $.10 NY Beef Taco $.67 NY Lettuce and Salsa NY fruit $.10 NY Breakfast Sausage .60 Biscuit, NY Sweet Potato Home fries.20 Sauce, NY Broccoli, Rice

NY fruit $.10 LoMein w/ NY Cabbage, Carrots .20, USDA Chicken Strips NY fruit $.10 Pasta Marinara w/ NY Italian Sausage .60

NY fruit $.10 NY Hot Dog .60 Grandma Browns or Scratch NY Baked Beans NY fruit $.10 NY Hamburger .85 Oven Fried Potatoes .20 NY fruit $.10 Mac and NY Cheddar Cheese .30 NY Cauliflower .25 NY fruit $.10 “White” USDA Turkey Chili Nachos w/NY cheddar .15 Baked Potato.20

NY fruit $.10 Weekly Pizza .30 Pesto Pizza w/Fresh Tomato NY fruit $.10 Weekly NY Pizza .30 NY Mushroom Pizza NY fruit $.10 Weekly NYPizza .30 NY Peppers and Onions .25 Pizza NY fruit $.10 Weekly Pizza .30 White Garlic NY Broccoli .25 Pizza

Oneida Herkimer Madison BOCES Cheryl Bilinski talks with Jake Perrin, Assistant Food Service Director with Oneida Herkimer Madison BOCES, about how a single SFA procures and distributes local food to 15 component school districts. He highlights: • OHM’s approach to local procurement, with a focus on how to approach the 30% • Logistical coordination among 15 different districts in determining their local food needs • How they have adapted their distribution model to meet the needs of their SFAs and local food and farm partners • How they develop and maintain vendors relationships Lastly, Jake reminds us that farm to school can be and should be FUN!

Forestville Central Schools Becky O’Connor chats with Nick Weith, Food Service Director and Farm to School Coordinator for Forestville Central Schools, about how improving the lunch program can increase pride in a community with a declining population. Nick shares: • Why and how Forestville purchases and picks up produce from local farmers and a nearby produce auction • The unique approach he has taken to administering the district’s summer meal program • How on-the-job training can prepare staff to handle new products

NY fruit $.10 USDA Turkey Mashed NY Potato .20

NY fruit $.10 Pasta Marinara w/ NY Italian Meatball .75

Wilson Central School District Becky O’Connor talks with Sue Bell, Food Service Director for Wilson Central School District, about how the district managed to qualify for the 30% NY Initia - tive two years in a row with minimal added effort. They also chat about: • Why purchasing locally grown produce was a given for Sue and her predecessor • Recommendations for tracking and keeping up with documentation • How working with CCE Niagara helped them reach 30% NY purchases • The pride students take in seeing food from their family farms served on the lunch line

This menu may not work for all schools, and we’ve made a lot of assumptions. But it’s a starting point seeing how you can stay within your budget while placing NY grown foods on the menu.

SPECIAL EDITION

Resources

GIF

3. Action for Healthy Kids – School Breakfast Grants • Action for Healthy Kids has provided $7.7 million in grants to schools since 2009 to help them accomplish their student wellness goals. The grants have helped buy kiosks to help increase student access to breakfast, therefore increasing participation. • Eligible Applicants: All schools • Funding: $1,000, $2,000, or $3,000 Additional Resources 1. USDA Grant and Loan Flow Chart • An easy to follow resource of which opportunities are available to assist farm-to-school initiatives 2. Grant Writing Assistance i. eXtension Foundation • Tips for writing successful grants ii. Foundation Center – GRANTSPACE • Proposal writing – Building the essential knowledge and skills to craft effective grant proposals iii. Center for Community Health and Development at the University of Kansas – The Community Tool Box • Learn a Skill – Toolkits – Applying for grants iv. NIFA/USDA • Two-page bulleted list of tips for writing a successful grant application

2. Additional State Subsidy for Purchasing New York Food Products • School Food Authorities (SFA) that spend at least thirty percent of total food costs for the school lunch program on NYS farm products in the preceding school year are eligible for an additional state reimbursement. • Eligible Applicants: NYS SFA • Funding: Increases the total state per lunch reimbursement to $.25 per free and paid lunches and $.50 per reduced lunch. 3. Equipment Funding for Schools Required to Implement a Breakfast After the Bell Program • Funds will allow eligible schools to purchase food service equipment that will assist in the implementation of a Breakfast After the Bell Program (BAB). This is one-time funding that was provided in the 2018 – 2019 school year. However, schools that did not receive the full entitlement of $5,000 per eligible school in the 2018 – 2019 school year may still apply for funding if the school is required to implement a BAB program again in the 2019 – 2020 school year. • Eligible Applicants: NYS SFA that are required to implement a BAB program. • Funding: Up to $5,000 per school building location. Non-Governmental Funding Sources 1. National Dairy Council – Product Research • Each year the National Dairy Council (NDC) seeks nutrition and product research pre- proposals that will further discoveries about and utilization of dairy foods and ingredients across the lifespan. • Eligible Applicants: Open to all. • Funding: No stated limit. 2. FarmOn! Foundation – Milk Money • FarmOn! #MilkMoney is a program that provides financial and technical assistance to schools interested in procuring local milk for their lunchrooms through a FarmOn! Foundation partnership with Hudson Valley Fresh Dairy Farms. • Eligible Applicants: School districts • Funding: $0.05 per carton subsidy

Funding? Where Can I F nd

Guidance on Available Funding Sources to Support Farm-to-School Activities The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (Department) has prepared the following guidance on available funding sources for schools to support their Farm-to-School activities. This is not an exhaustive list. Please access the included links to find the most recent application period deadlines. Federal Funding Sources 1. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm-to-School Grant Program • Section 18 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA) established a Farm- to-School Program in order to assist eligible entities (i.e. schools, school districts, agricultural producers, Indian tribal organizations, nonprofit organizations, state agencies, and local agencies) through grants and technical assistance in implementing farm-to-school programs that improve access to local foods in eligible schools. • Eligible Applicants: o Eligible schools o State and local agencies o Indian tribal organizations o Small and medium-sized agricultural producers or groups of small and medium-sized agricultural producers o Non‐profit entities • Funding: o Planning and Training: $20,000 – $50,000 o Implementation: $50,000 – $100,000 o 25% match

2. USDA National School Lunch Program Equipment Assistance Grants for School Food Authorities • The purpose of Equipment Assistance Grants is to distribute funding allocations provided by the Agriculture Appropriations Act. State agencies competitively award equipment assistance grants to eligible school food authorities (SFA) participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). • Eligible Applicants: State agencies as a pass through to SFA. • Total Funding Available: $30,000,000 New York State Funding Sources 1. New York State (NYS) Farm-to-School Program • Governor Andrew M. Cuomo launched the NYS Farm-to-School Competitive Grants Program in 2015 to increase the purchase of local specialty crops by school districts and by individual schools, through developing existing strengths while building additional relationships between schools and suppliers. The Farm-to-School Competitive Grants Program has grown from $325,000 in 2015 to $1,500,000 in 2019. • Eligible Applicants: o K-12 SFA o Charter schools o Not-for-profit organizations o Indian tribal organizations • Funding: o Last year awards ranged from $25,000 to $100,000 o No match required.

Please contact the Department’s Division of Agricultural Development at (518) 457-7076 with any additional questions or comments.

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FreshBites

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Resources

How to F nd Local Foods We think the single best way to find local foods is to connect with a Farm to School Coordinator in your area by searching this interactive map. If you don’t see a Farm to School Coordinator in your region/county, email Cheryl Bilinski for support (cbt32@cornell.edu). In addition, there are several directories and databases you can search to find local foods. They include:

National & New York State Farm to School Resources

Use this database to search for NYG&C products. All certified processed products adhere to the same standards as the 30% NY Initiative (51% raw ingredients by weight or volume are from NY farms). Therefore, if you buy a product that is NYG&C, you do not need to obtain a product formulation statement. Note, certifications are product specific, meaning don’t assume because an entity is certified, all their products are. Contact: Jessica Brooks (jessica.brooks@agriculture.ny.gov). Use this database to find potential animal-based protein farm partners in your area. Note that legally you must have your animals processed at a USDA certified processing facility, not a NY custom facility, as some of these farmers are accustomed to using. Meat Suite: NY Grown & Certified Database:

Use this database to find 30% eligible food products. Product eligibility has been verified prior to listing in the database. Database contacts: Cheryl Bilinski (cbt32@ cornell.edu) & Becky O’Connor (rao84@ cornell.edu). NY 30% Eligible Product Database: Use this list to find farms and processors that are either GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) or GHP (Good Handling Practices) certified. Note commodities covered by the audit are explicitly listed. List of GAP & GHP certified farms: Use this site to connect with local farm and food businesses. Contact: Kaitlyn Sirna (kaitlyn@cadefarms.org). ripeCOMMUNITY directory and matchmaking site:

NAT I ONAL

NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets NYS Department of Education Farm to Institution NYS Buyer Learning Center Cornell Cooperative Extension Farm to School Cornell Cooperative Extension Harvest New York New York Agriculture in the Classroom New York School Nutrition Association Farm to School Buffalo Farm to School Capital Roots Farm to School (Capital Region) Center for Agricultural Development & Entrepreneurship (CADE) Adirondacks Farm to School Food & Health Network of South Central New York Poughkeepsie Farm Project NEW YORK STATE

USDA Farm to School National Farm to School Network (NFSN) Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) USDA Farm to School Census Community Alliance with Family Farmers Vermont Farm to School Network Vermont FEED Farm-Based Education Network (FBEN)

Use this list to find recognized sources of local food, namely produce. List of NY-based Food Hubs:

South Carolina Farm to School Massachusetts Farm to School Maine Farm to School Network Center for Ecoliteracy Slow Food USA Garden to Cafeteria (GTC) Whole Kids Foundation Good Food Purchasing Program Farm to Institution New England (FINE) Northeast Regional Steering Committee of NSFN Recipes for Success The Lunchbox (Chef Ann Foundation) Life Lab food and garden-based education No Kid Hungry First Nations Development Institute Native Farm to School Resource Guide

Use these guides to find information on identifying, sourcing, and procuring local foods. Current guides on cabbage, concord grapes, tomatoes , and dried beans are available online at the FINYS Local Food Buying Learning Center , with more product guides in the works. Contact: Stephanie Hsu (shsu@farmland.org). NY Food Guides:

Edible Schoolyard NYC Common Ground Farm

Common Ground Farm & Pace Food & Beverage Clinic’s Farm to School Legal Toolkit SNAP-Ed New York Recipe Finder

FreshBites

SPECIAL EDITION

30% Incentive Program Summit The NYS Department of Education and NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets hosted a one-day summit last August to offer guidance and training to all interested stakeholders for the NY 30% Incentive Program. The program was so valuable we recorded it for additional resources! Resources

BUYING LOCAL

30% INCENTIVE PROGRAM DOCUMENTATION

What is the 30% Incentive Program Mark Bordeau Rural Health Network of South Central Procuring Local Items & Geographic Preference Bid Kristen Ricciardi NYS Education Department Planning & Using Geographic Bid Mark Bordeau Rural Health Network of South Central Buying Local Meats Jean O'Toole , NY Beef Council

Video

Michele Beaver & Tara Webster, NYS Education Department

Video

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Farm to School Vendor Database Cheryl Bilinski, Cornell Cooperative Extension Local Food Buyer Learning Center Stephanie Hsu, American Farmland Trust NYGFFNYK Coalition Samantha Levy, American Farmland Trust Ag & Markets Grants Jacqueline Boyer, NYS Dept Agriculture & Markets Working with Farm to School Coordinators Kate Dorr, OHM BOCES NYS Farm to School Coordinating Committee Julie Raway, Broome Tioga BOCES

SELLING LOCAL: CONNECTING FARMERS, VENDORS, AND DISTRIBUTORS WITH SCHOOLS

NY Grown & Certified Program Jessica Brooks NYS Dept Agriculture & Markets Capital Roots Farm to School Program Scott Fuller, Capital Roots What Farmers Need to Know Dave Walczak Eden Valley Growers

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NYSNA Farm to School Committee Julie Raway, Broome Tioga BOCES

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By Julie Raway, MPH, RDN, CDN, SNS, FAND Broome-Tioga BOCES Promoting farm to school within the district and community is an important part of a farm to school program. It can help to not only share positive work, but drive participation in farm to school initiatives and consumption of New York foods to help reach the 30% incentive program. There are many ways to promote farm to school including: PROMOTIONS Marketing FARM TO SCHOOL

USE TO HIGHLIGHT YOUR PROGRAM AWARDS

Here in New York State, we love to celebrate Farm to School. Each year we partner with the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets for the Farm to School Partnership Awards! Some of the projects that have been created around the state are just so innovative and unique. From creative student taste testing events to farm to school food trucks, directors and partners are redefining the way we think of school meals. Throughout the state there are districts that showcase NY Thursdays, where districts strive to provide a meal created with all NY items. On Wayne Wednesdays all food service directors in Wayne County showcase NY food items. There are Junior Chef challenges, school gardens, farmers markets, bilingual cooking and gardening videos, and more. Even during a pandemic these programs have not slowed down. Directors have been finding ways to incorporate farm to school into the remote meals and even creating meal kits with recipes that families can make together. The awards are given each year for exceptional work completed by schools around the state. Working with local farms has become a great way for Farm to School to flourish in New York State. Applying and winning this award can help showcase your farm to school projects not only with students, parents, teachers, administrators, and the community, but also on the state level. It will create buzz around your district and farm to school initiatives. Ideas for projects include merchandising/promoting local foods, working with local farms, building partnerships, and integrating farm to school into wellness activities, and distribution: finding creative ways to get or receive local farm products.

Signs/Banners One of the easiest ways to market a farm to school program is with signs and banners that are prominently displayed in the cafeteria and around the schools. These can also be converted to images and used electronically on social media. Signs and banners can promote New York food days or local menu items to encourage students to taste the food.

Newsletters Newsletters can be a more formal way to share information about farm to school within your district. This can be shared with students, parents, community, district public relations, and on websites and social media. It’s a formal way to share information on local food being offered, farm to school recipes, school gardens, and other farm to school initiatives. It’s also a great way to advertise school meals and New York food in the cafeteria. Social Media Social media is a great way to broadly share farm to school information both with the local community and beyond. Posting photos and videos of local food, recipe testing, school gardens, and farm to school classroom education can shine positive light on the school nutrition program and efforts to bring local food into the cafeteria for students to enjoy. Tagging state and national organizations (e.g. school nutrition associations) and community partners will also help to create more buzz around the farm to school program.

Recipes Sharing farm to school recipes in a family format (~6 servings) can promote farm to school and encourage families to use local food at home. It can also help students become more familiar with local products and explore new tastes both at home and school increasing consumption of New York foods, especially those offered in the cafeteria.

Local Media Inviting local media to farm to school events is a great way to communicate to the public and promote efforts to bring local food in for school meals. Local media loves to showcase these efforts. It can be as easy as inviting them to taste tests and New York food days that are already being conducted. They can also be invited to press conferences that focus on ways the district has implemented farm to school from planting gardens to offering local food on the school menus.

Participate at Community and School Events Having farm to school activities at community and school events where you can reach parents and families is a good way to share and showcase farm to school while encouraging families to enjoy school meals especially those sourced with New York food.

More information can be found at: https://www.nyschoolnutrition.org/awards-and-scholarships

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Taste Test Table Setting up a taste test table is a highly visible and effective way to increase awareness of your Farm to School program. A taste test table can be as simple as a table in a visible area of the cafeteria where a single volunteer displays and distributes samples and collects votes. Depending on how the lunch period is structured, students may approach the table freely; be instructed to approach the table by a volunteer/ monitor; or approach the table on their way into/out of the cafeteria. Build it up from there with these add- ons: ⇢ Voting board with “I love it”, “I like it”, and “It’s not my favorite” ⇢ “I tried it!” or other stickers for students ⇢ Tablecloth ⇢ Harvest of the Month or other posters ⇢ Educational display ⇢ Educational interaction ⇢ F2S shirts for volunteers/staff Pros: • Highly visible • Allows for interaction and education • Involving staff/volunteers can increase program buy-in/ support Cons: • More prep time • Requires staff/volunteer involvement For more detailed information on taste tests, here is a comprehensive guide

Becky O’Connor, MPH and Julie Raway, MPH, RDN, CDN, SNS, FAND Taste Tests FARM TO SCHOOL

Why Your District Should do Farm to School Taste Tests There are numerous ways in which different schools and districts around the country participate in the Farm to School movement. For many, taste tests are an effective way to engage multiple stakeholders within schools with the common goal of cooking and tasting new foods. Taste tests can serve several important goals for farm to school programs, including: • Gain student and staff feedback on new recipes and items before putting them on the menu. • Increase students’ familiarity with newer menu items. • Provide hands-on learning experiences and introduce students to the sources of their food. • Build support from school staff, raise community awareness, and promote the farm to school program. How Farm to School Taste Tests Can Be Conducted In the cafeteria, food is prepared in the school kitchen and served in the cafeteria. Classroom taste tests are typically part of an educational activity, and the food is prepared in advance. By preparing taste tests in the cafeteria kitchen, you spark conversation among kitchen staff about the process for preparing fresh foods and Farm to School in general. Additionally, this method provides opportunities for kitchen staff to build relationships and discuss any potential questions or concerns about future Farm to School menu items. Taste tests in classroom often accompany an educational activity about fruits and vegetables, gardening, local agriculture, or exploring new flavors with the students. It is recommended that the food is prepared in the school kitchen, however it could also be prepared in advance in a kitchen off-site. In some cases, schools may have cooking carts, which are a great opportunity to involve students directly in the cooking process.

Easy Approaches to a Farm to School Taste Test Offering Samples on the Lunch Line This is the most basic taste test and may work best for districts that do not have enough volunteer or staff support to offer samples in the cafeteria to students. It might also be a good fit for districts with high lunch participation, but if possible, it’s best to pair this method with other special Farm to School promotions in the cafeteria. All you have to do is serve and promote the item on your lunch line and use one of the voting methods to see how students liked it. If there is the capacity, also offer samples to students who did not select this lunch item (e.g., sample tray at point of sale). Pros: • Low cost • Limited staff/volunteer involvement • Low prep time Cons: • Less visible/impactful than Taste Test Table and Trays Taste Test Trays Walking around with a tray to pass out samples can be a good fit during lunch periods where students need to stay in their seats. This is also a great method to pair with other taste test methods. Simply load up the tray and walk around the lunchroom, looking for students who did not get the featured item as part of their meal. It’s a great opportunity for positive interactions with students. Pros: • Easy to make sure everyone tries a sample • Low prep time • Volunteers can assess students’ tray Cons: • May require 2 volunteers (one to distribute samples, one to manage voting) • Less visible/impactful than Taste Test Table

21 SPECIAL EDITION Promote Your Taste Test Whether you’re setting up a full table display or simply including the feature item on the lunch line, it’s important to promote your taste test. Here are some best practices: • Highlight it on your lunch menu • Promote it on social media, and share info with parents • Include it on morning and afternoon announcements • Have teachers encourage students to try the feature item, and remind them about it as they head to the cafeteria • Have servers on the lunch line encourage students to try it • Have cafeteria/lunch monitors talk to students throughout the lunch period to ask them if they tried it/ liked it • Provide samples for teachers to try in front of students • Bring samples to administrators and office staff

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Use Food Days as a Promotion Marketing

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By, Becky O’Connor, MPH CCE Harvest NY Harvest of the Month

Featuring a Harvest of the Month is a great way to dip your toes into Farm to School. It can be as simple as serving an in- season, locally grown food once a month. By now you know that with Farm to School there is no “one size fits all,” so here are some ideas to inspire a Harvest of the Month program that’s just right for your school, district, or SFA. Come up with your Harvest of the Month calendar Check out this harvest chart to see what’s in season throughout the year, or ask your produce distributor or farm partner what you can expect to source from them each month. Rather than going about it month by month, consider the year as a whole: I don’t recommend serving apples in October because there are plenty of other locally grown fruits and veggies available in the fall. Instead, save apples for March or April when fresh, local produce is hard to come by. Here are some ideas of products to highlight each month:

Farmer Fridays, NY Thursdays, Wayne Wednesdays, Harvest of the Month days - whatever you choose to call them, NY “Food Days” are a great way to start adding local foods to your menus. Many schools have used these special days to launch their farm to school programs, and ultimately, to reach the 30% incentive program. Food Days enable students to enjoy locally grown food, while learning about agriculture and how locally grown and raised food helps support the community. Whichever approach you choose for your schools, it’s important to start small and keep it manageable. One day a month, serve a meal featuring NY State foods. Start with one item, one day, and build from there. You can feature an item grown locally in your district or anywhere in the state.

NY Thursdays The Food Service Directors in Broome and Tioga Counties are proud to offer kid approved menu items and entrees that taste great and are healthy too! The focus of the Rock on Café program is to offer healthier versions of foods that children like while being affordable and convenient. Check out their Facebook Page. TIPS: • Make a big deal out of it because it can drive participation and it can create a more positive perception of school meals in the district. • Incorporate taste tests into Food Days - it will greatly increase the number of students selecting your special meal, and it gets kids in the habit of trying new foods. • Look for partners to help find and purchase local foods, such as local non-profits, Cooperative Extension, or other schools, but know that you can get started on your own. • Ask your community or PTO for help with taste testing and promotion - this will really help get the word out! • Invite your state Senator or Assembly person to come visit you on your NY Food Day.

September Corn, Summer squash, Bell peppers

October Kale, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Bell peppers, Brussels sprouts March Cabbage, Apples

November Kale, Brussels sprouts, Pears

December Acorn squash,

January Beets, Carrots, Parsnips, Apples

Butternut squash, Honeynut squash, Spaghetti squash

February Potatoes, Dried beans, Apples

April Salad greens, Apples

May Salad greens, Hydroponic tomatoes

June Asparagus, Salad greens, Strawberries

Wayne Wednesdays Wayne Wednesdays showcase local food in the school cafeterias of Wayne County, NY. They serve local food because we love our community! Check out their Facebook Page.

FreshBites Highlighting a different locally grown food each month has several benefits: • Introduces students to new foods • Increases your NY product purchases • Helps build relationships with distributors, farmers, and producers The second and third bullets go a long way toward reaching 30% local procurement. Maybe you start by featuring a local item once a month, and increase it to every other week, and then weekly. When you talk to your vendors about what’s in season, you help establish your expectations for local procurement, and you can learn about additional products that may be available. Feature the Harvest of the Month on Your Menu Decide how frequently you’re going to feature the Harvest item: Monthly? Weekly? Every other week? Then figure out how you will prepare it. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it does need to be something the food service staff at a school is ready and able to prepare. Consider practicing the recipe ahead of time if it’s something new. Need inspiration? Here’s a curated list of recipes ready for food service. Promote the Harvest of the Month This can be as simple as highlighting the Harvest of the Month on the menu. Other promotional ideas include: • Sending a Harvest of the Month newsletter home to families. • Displaying Harvest of the Month posters in your cafeteria. • Offering samples of the Harvest of the Month in your cafeteria or classroom. • Announcing the Harvest of the Month and sharing Harvest of the Month facts on the morning announcements (find pre-curated facts by clicking on the Harvest items on buffalofarmtoschool.org). Harvest of the Month as a Pathway to 30%

Harvest of the Month Resources for NY Schools • Posters, Newsletters, Infographics, and Recipes from CCE Seneca County and Buffalo Public Schools • Coloring pages, Recipes, Videos, and More from Poughkeepsie Farm Project • Posters from NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets • NYS Harvest of the Month Educators Toolkit

Harvest of the Month Harvest of the Month is a Farm-to-School initiative that promotes different locally grown food in the school cafeteria each month. These toolkits share strategies for promoting Harvest of the Month and how to use Harvest of the Month materials, like posters. Posters are available for download, or printed posters are available by contacting the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets.

The East End Farm to School Project is comprised of the Southampton, B r i dg e h amp t on , and Tuckahoe school districts. In 2016, the Project received a Farm to School grant fromNew York State Ag and Markets to promote and procure local produce in the schools. Check out their Faceboo Page.

FarmtoSchoolMohawkValley is committed to providing information and motivation for parents, schools and farmers by educating the community on how they should embrace Farm to School activities and programming. Check out their Facebook Page.

The Buffalo Farmto School program brings healthy, local, fresh food to schools in Buffalo. Buffalo Farm to School connects schools, farms, & community partners to improve student nutrition and support their local agricultural economy. Check out their Facebook Page.

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