COMMITTEES Farm to School
Farm to School Feature
BY ANNE RICH HANBURG CENTRAL SCHOOLS hamburg f2s grows greenhouse program
Connecting with state legislators can really make a difference to your child nutrition program! A year ago NYS Assemblyman Sean Ryan was a judge at the 1st Annual Jr. Chef Challenge at Hamburg Middle School. He became very interested in our Farm to School initiative and wanted to learn more. Sharing with him our vision of expanding the program to Middle and High School through a greenhouse program proved quite fruitful! Assemblyman Sean Ryan joined Superintendent Michael Cornell in September to announce $125,000 in state funding to enhance Farm-to- School (F2S) education in the district through construction of a greenhouse at Hamburg High School. The greenhouse will provide agricultural science and agribusiness experiences for students. Produce grown in it will also be used
in the school lunch program. Hamburg’s Farm to School program will now allow students to continue cultivating their garden experiences beyond elementary school and into Middle and High School. There are raised garden beds at all four of Hamburg’s elementary schools, where young students are introduced to gardening and learn where food comes from. A soft plastic seasonal hoop-house is in the works for the Middle School thanks to Steve Zdrojewski, a Middle School teacher that was awarded a hoop house grant through NY Ag in the Classroom. The addition of the large poly carbonate year-round High School greenhouse will expand the growing season and provide hands-on experience applicable to agricultural careers. Above Photo: Hamburg Schools Superintendent making greenhouse announcement in September 2020 with NYS Assemblyman Sean Ryan, Food Service Director Anne Rich and Farm to School Coordinator Tricia Miller
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FreshBites
WINTER 2021
FreshBites
WINTER 2021
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