Try Those Mysterious Vegetables
For, purchasing New York grown and processed foods is a year-round commitment. She regularly communicates with her produce supplier, Wagner’s Farm Market, to know what is available from local farms before she creates menus. The Niagara Wheatfield schools get locally-grown potatoes, onions, broccoli, peppers, field and hydroponic tomatoes, apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, grapes, and lettuce. Local plums from Singer Farms were on the breakfast menu for "Eat Well Play Hard" Day at the Middle School. When Ms. Stinson visits classrooms to do taste testings and menu planning, she talks about foods grown in New York. The children have been pleasantly surprised that they like the taste of fresh red cabbage, green and red peppers, zucchini, plums and cantaloupe

For NY Harvest for NY Kids Week 2003, Doloros Stinson, School Food Service Director for Niagara Wheatfield Central School District in Niagara County collaborated with Cornell Cooperative Extension educators and the North Tonawanda Farmers’ Market. A special invitation to the Saturday market was sent home to families. Extension and 4-H had displays, recipes, and a scavenger hunt where children had to find vegetables they had never tasted before. Squash, turnip, eggplant, red hot pepper, beets were some of the foods they discovered. Ms. Stinson is already planning with a teacher and Cooperative Extension for next year’s NY Harvest for NY Kids, making vegetable soup and a tasting of ratatouille with some of these mysterious vegetables!

Take a Field Trip
In the Spring of 2003, School Food Service Director Sharon Bogue, SFNS, started planning some special NY Harvest for NY Kids activities for the Canandaigua City School District in Ontario County. NY Farms! put her in touch with Politics of Food, a non-profit organization based in Rochester. Alison Clarke from Politics of Food helped Ms. Bogue provide teachers with materials on locally grown foods, ideas for lesson plans, recipes for cooking in the classroom. Politics of Food knows many of the farmers at the Canandaigua Farmers’ Market, which is held on Saturdays. A dozen farmers agreed to set up a special children’s market on a school day, so that as many elementary school classes as possible could take a walking field trip. On a beautiful sunny day, the children checked out the fruits and vegetables, flowers, herbs, vinegars, and eggs. Several farmers brought animals for the children to see and touch, and explained to them how the animals are raised. The kids got a real education about where those hamburgers come from! Each student brought a dollar and selected an item to bring back to the classroom, where they decided what to make together. The teachers reported that many students said this was the best field trip ever, and look forward to next year’s NY Harvest for NY Kids.

A Community Event
Hannibal Central School District in Oswego County sits in the middle of a rich growing region bountiful with fresh fruits and vegetables. School Food Service Director Deborah Richardson works with Dave Johnson of C’s Farms, her local produce supplier, to get locally-grown produce. They put in extra effort to get locally-grown pears, plums, apples, potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes and more for the meals during NY Harvest for NY Kids week. The names of all the farms, as well as dairy and food processors using New York farm products, were included on the week’s menu. An evening event for the entire family Bringing Home the Harvest, was the "big event" of the week. Eight Oswego County farmers showed off their fruits, vegetables, Christmas trees, and answered questions about their farms. The Earth Tunnel from NY Farm Bureau provided a fascinating look underground at roots, animals, insects, microbes, and other organisms. Samples of ice cream, yogurt, cheese and the milk were enjoyed and demonstrated the importance of local dairy farms. Scalloped potatoes, coleslaw, and apple crisp were made up with more than one type onion, potato, apples, so attendees could compare the different tastes. Cooperative Extension, Oswego County Farm Bureau, Cornell Farm-to-School, the kitchen staff, students from the BOCES Culinary Arts Program, and the parents’ group helped plan and put on this fun and educational event.

Create a NY Menu
Jane Pepin, School Food Service Director for the Hudson Falls Central School District in Washington County worked with her cafeteria staff, the local Cornell Cooperative Extension nutrition educator, and eight teachers in the district’s Kindergarten Center. With considerable effort by the Extension educator to source and pick up produce, the special district-wide menu featured apples, cider, cabbage, potatoes and a salad with many local vegetables. Local Goose Island Farms wants to continue to supply the school district with potatoes for "Italian Roasted Potatoes", and apple cider from Borden’s Orchard will be on the menu as well.

At the Kindergarten Center’s Harvest Celebration, parents escorted children through eight "stations" where Kindergarten teachers and cafeteria staff introduced foods and led activities. Extension Nutritionist Debbie Kelleher provided recipes and resources. The children tasted frozen grapes, green beans, spaghetti squash with sauce, corn bread, low fat pumpkin muffins and maple syrup. They husked corn and snapped green beans. The children talked about their experiences for days afterward, and enjoyed the fresh-husked corn for lunch!

Expand on a Favorite
The Warwick Valley Central School District in Orange County has incorporated NY Harvest for NY Kids into a year-round plan to spread the word about healthy food choices and physical activity. Assistant Food Service Director Lois Radon works with the District Nutrition Committee made up of parents, administrators, principals, board members, school nurses. Principal Jane Hamburger said, "Their excitement and willingness to work with the elementary school principals and community members have been a major help in what we are trying to accomplish with children making healthy choices." The Menu is a key communication tool with families and staff with information about foods, nutrition, serving sizes, and exercise, and photos from local farms. The September menu-back announced NY Harvest for NY Kids and suggested that families visit a local farm market or u-pick apple orchard, bring home foods and prepare a meal together. A fruit or vegetable is highlighted each month in the elementary schools. October was apple month with cinnamon, cider, fresh baked apple crisp, as well as several varieties of local apples for kids to try (Gala and golden delicious were among the favorites). Students drew apple characters, which were displayed in the cafeterias throughout the month. The October menu-back had a recipe for "Oven Baked Apples", and Apple Country facts about varieties and storing apples from the NY Apple Association. At the Warwick Valley High School, an important partner was a BOCES Culinary Program student. He worked with the Cook Manager to develop a vegetable soup recipe, then chopped and diced local potatoes, onions, carrots and celery to feed over 2000 students and staff! His peers were amazed at what he had done, and how good the soup tasted.

Get Growing!
Since 2001, Todd Adelman at the Block Institute in Brooklyn has involved his entire school community in NY Harvest for NY Kids, but the scope and partners keep growing! Block Institute serves primarily developmentally disabled children and adults in an integrated setting. The teachers and physical and occupational therapy staff use gardening, music, crafts, and multi-sensory activities. Soil, water, plants, and food all fit perfectly with this approach. Starting in the summer, a local farmer helped students plant a garden of tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, herbs, and more. They watered and weeded; they learned where and how vegetables are grown, their nutritional value, how they can be eaten. The students decided to make salsa from their vegetables. All through the summer, they harvested, washed, chopped and helped sterilize 800 jars of salsa (the recipe won First Prize at the Queens County Agricultural Fair!)

During NY Harvest for NY Kids Week, students visited the Brooklyn Greenmarket and learned first-hand from farmers what it takes to grow crops. A Harvest Festival for the entire Block Institute community included a New York lunch and activities led by Future Farmers of America Club at John Bowne High School Cornell Cooperative Extension nutrition educators, teachers and specialists. A farm from Long Island brought goats, chickens, rabbits, and sheep for the children to learn about and interact with.