Cornell Cooperative Extension Lewis County Launches Farm to School Program

Initiatives include an increased reimbursement for schools serving NYS-produced foods.

Lowville, NY - Cornell Cooperative Extension Lewis County proudly announces the launch of its Farm to School program , which aims to bring healthy, locally-produced foods to schools and support rural economic development, among other benefits. The program aligns with New York State’s Farm-to-School Program already implemented in 40% of the state’s school districts.

CCE Lewis County will use the Farm to School program to collaborate with the community’s schools, farmers, producers, and families to build awareness of local foods. This will be done through various initiatives, including classroom projects, Harvest of the Month, and the NYS 30% Initiative. The NYS 30% Initiative increases the reimbursement schools receive for lunches from 5.9 cents per meal to 25 cents per meal for any district that ensures their school lunches are made up of at least 30% eligible New York produced and processed products.

The new Farm to School program is a natural extension of the work CCE Lewis County is already doing with its Ag in the Classroom program. Ag in the Classroom provides free lesson plans and all necessary lesson materials required to incorporate various agricultural concepts into curriculum for Pre K – 5 th grade classrooms within Lewis County.

For more information on this and other Cornell Cooperative Extension programs, please call David at 315-376- 5270, email drn44@cornell.edu or see our website at ccelewis.org.

Last updated December 7, 2023