FARM TO SCHOOL
Farm to School events provide culinary training and business to business opportunities
BY BECKY O’CONNOR Farm to Institution Coordinator Cornell Cooperative Extension | Harvest NY
A partnership between Cornell Cooperative Extension – Harvest NY’s Farm to School Team and the NY State Education Department has brought Farm to School events to five regions, with more coming in 2026. From the North Country Farm to School Gathering to the NY City Farm to School Expo, the events each feature culinary training for food service cooks; workshops and programming for food service directors, producers, and educators; and local food vendor expos. The focus of the culinary trainings, led by Brigaid and supported by NYSED Master Instructors, is to build scratch cooking skills and confidence, with a focus on local ingredients. Workshops and programming are based on regional needs, with topics including interactive bid development for food service directors and producers, and classroom composting for teachers and educators. Vendor expos provide opportunities for food service directors and other participants to meet small local farms and NY food producers to learn more about how they can work together, whether it’s purchasing their products for use in school meal programs or hosting field trips on the farm. In 2025 regional Farm to School events were been hosted in the Upper Hudson Valley, Lower Hudson Valley, North Country, Western NY, and NYC, reaching a total of 459 participants. Between 14 and 25 food service cooks have participated in each of the hands-on culinary trainings, preparing recipes from the NY School Food Cookbook which are then served at lunch. 10 to 12 local food vendors, including maple syrup producers, produce auctions, beef producers, apple farmers, food hubs, and more have participated in the vendor expo portion of each event. Regional Farm to School events will be hosted in Central New York, Long Island, and the Finger Lakes in 2026: more info coming soon! Looking for more hands-on, engaging Farm to School workshops and experiences? Check out Regional Roots: Culinary Training to Enhance School Meal Programs and the NYS Farm to School Summit! ■
Fresh, local mushrooms
Butternut Squash Brownies
Brigaid Chef Ryan demonstrates knife skills
DON’T MISS OUT! The New York State Farm to School Summit takes place February 23–25 in Saratoga Springs. Planned by stakeholders from across the state—including NYSNA members—and hosted in partnership by the New York State Department of Education and Cornell Cooperative Extension – Harvest NY, this event brings together leaders dedicated to growing farm-to-school success in New York. More information can be found on the event website: https://whova.com/web/4Pf42YDGltQQtgRnnlM3EZFfa489uyXwtOv8utxGU80%3D/ Questions? Email farm2institution@cornell.edu.
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FreshBites
WINTER 2026
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