Use Food Days as a Promotion Marketing
Marketing
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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