"We have the opportunity to roll out this pilot program in the North Country first after I worked to get funding for a program I'm convinced has great potential for our local agriculture community as well as our schools," Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell, D-Theresa, said.
"The details of the pilot program were shared with both school districts and farmers. It provided an opportunity for district officials and the farmers to start to come together to figure out how they work with each other," she added.
She said the Adirondack North Country Association has been selected to administer the pilot program.
"They will be providing professional support and also have been tasked with data collection and compilation so we will have a report, which is absolutely necessary for us to try to increase this program in future years and grow it to other parts of the state," according to Assemblywoman Russell, chair of the Assembly Task Force on Food, Farm and Nutrition Policy,
"That means $200,000 from this grant is going to go directly to our schools to be able to purchase and serve local products," she pointed out.
Schools were notified of the amount of funding they will be receiving from the grant in recent days. Each school will get an allotment of funds ranging from $2,750 to $40,000 for the school year tied to a formula that includes the number of meals served in each school's cafeteria the previous school year.
"We wanted to share this funding information with our schools as soon as possible so they can integrate this money into their budgets and into their meal planning and work with our farmers to purchase food that's grown right here and start feeding it to our children in schools. These funds will be used to buy items from local farmers, augmenting what our school food service managers ordered months ago for their fall menus," Assemblywoman Russell said.
"The agriculture sector remains the largest economic driver in our region. The farm-to-school program is a way to strengthen our economy here in the North Country by allowing our farmers to grow their products and sell them to our local institutions. This program will also benefit our children by providing them with access to local, healthy food options in their school meals," she noted.
Ann Easter, the food service director at Indian River Central School, said she has seen a slow shift with children choosing healthier options in the cafeteria lines.
"When I started at Indian River 27 years ago, I put broccoli on the menu, and it was not really popular. We had to bury it in cheese sauce to get kids to eat it. Finally, we now have kids that like broccoli with no salt, pepper or butter on it. A program like this can do nothing but good for our future generations of kids," she said.
Dr. John Dewar, president of the North Country Grown Cooperative, Inc., and a retired physician, said the health benefits of incorporating more fruits and vegetables into our diets are clear.
He also praised Assemblywoman Russell for leading the fight that led to a change that allows small cooperatives to sell their products to schools.
Canton Central Food Service Director Blue Jay Fenlong said the pilot program is the first step in strengthening the relationship between schools and local farmers.
"We're buying this stuff now. If we can work out the logistics, my team is willing to work with you. We buy tons and tons and thousands of dollars of food from California. That doesn't make sense," she said.
Food service directors shared steps local producers would need to take to sell their products to local schools.
"Products need to come in clean or we won't accept it. We are serving a vulnerable population. I need to make sure that food is safe," Artie Fregoe, a food service director for several schools through St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES, stressed.
He also noted producers will need to take the necessary steps to be approved vendors for the local schools and submit formal invoices that meet the requirements of the state Comptroller's Office.
Assemblywoman Russell said it was important to bring school officials and producers together so those conversations could take place.
"There are specific requirements from the federal school lunch policies so this meeting was also about the school districts talking with farmers about how they can ensure their produce can actually be utilized by schools," she said.
She said improved relationships between the two parties could also play a role as farmers look at crop planting decisions in future years.
Josh Bakelaar, local economies and agriculture director for the Adirondack North Country Association, said local schools will be able to stipulate they are seeking local food products in the bidding process.
Some school food service directors said they had the freezer space to accept large quantities of local produce that is harvested in the late summer and early fall.
The schools that have been allocated funding from the pilot program in St. Lawrence County include Canton, Hammond, Hermon-Dekalb, Heuvelton, Lisbon, Madrid-Waddington, Massena, Norwood-Norfolk, Ogdensburg Free Academy and Potsdam.
The schools that have been allocated funding from the pilot program in St. Lawrence County include Canton, Hammond, Hermon-Dekalb, Heuvelton, Lisbon, Madrid-Waddington, Massena, Norwood-Norfolk, Ogdensburg Free Academy and Potsdam.
Jefferson County schools that have expressed an interest in the program include Alexandria, Indian River, Lafargeville, Lyme, South Jefferson and Watertown.
Watertown Central Food Service Director Craig Orvis said he was impressed by the number of producers that were on hand for the meeting in Canton.
"Now I've got to beat the bushes in Jefferson County," he suggested.
Assemblywoman Russell said she felt the meeting had been fruitful and pointed out Mr. Bakelaar is working on setting up a similar meeting in Jefferson County within the next couple of weeks.
"This is a tremendous opportunity to use our existing schools to help support our agriculture sector. I'm hoping this will not only have benefits to our kids and their nutrition but also help us to grow our local agriculture business," she said.
IN THE PHOTOS:
TOP PHOTO:
Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell listens as Watertown Central School Food Service Director Craig Orvis makes a point during a meeting held to discuss the roll out of the farm-to-school pilot program in St. Lawrence and Jefferson counties this coming school year. Assemblywoman Russell led the effort to gain funding for the initiative. Also shown are Josh Bakelaar, agriculture and local economies director for the Adirondack North Country Association, and Indian River Central School Food Service Director Ann Easter.
BOTTOM PHOTOS:
Several local growers, including Daniel Martin, Dr. John Dewar, Andy Maslin, Bob Washo, Dan Kent, Brian Bennett and Tim and Kathy Fuller, took part in a discussion on plans to roll out a far-to-school pilot program this coming school year. Pictured are (l-r) around the table are Adirondack North Country Association Agriculture and Local Economies Director Josh Bakelaar; Assemblywoman Addie Russell; Daniel Martin, Martin's Foodstand; Dr. John Dewar, president of the North Country Grown Cooperative, Inc., Board of Directors; Patrick Ames, executive director of Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County; and John Warner of New York Farm Bureau. Back row: David Stark and Andy Maslin of 24:45 organics; Bob Washo of littleGrasse Foodworks and Daniel Kent of Kent Family Growers.
Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell talks with Cornell Cooperative Extension Executive Director Patrick Ames and Andy Maslin of 24:45 Organics during a tour of the new commercial kitchen at CCE of St. Lawrence County in Canton.
Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell and Cornell Cooperative Extension Executive Director Patrick Ames talk about the agency's new commercial kitchen in Canton.
Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell talks with Brian Bennett of Bittersweet Farm about the farm-to-school pilot program.
Cornell Cooperative Extension Executive Director Patrick Ames, far right, showed producers some of the equipment that has been purchased for the commercial kitchen at CCE's farm on Route 68 in Canton.
Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell visits with Bob Washo of littleGrasse Foodworks following a roundtable discussion featuring growers and area school food service directors about the rollout of a farm-to-school pilot program in the region.
IN THE PHOTOS:
TOP PHOTO:
Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell listens as Watertown Central School Food Service Director Craig Orvis makes a point during a meeting held to discuss the roll out of the farm-to-school pilot program in St. Lawrence and Jefferson counties this coming school year. Assemblywoman Russell led the effort to gain funding for the initiative. Also shown are Josh Bakelaar, agriculture and local economies director for the Adirondack North Country Association, and Indian River Central School Food Service Director Ann Easter.
BOTTOM PHOTOS:
Several local growers, including Daniel Martin, Dr. John Dewar, Andy Maslin, Bob Washo, Dan Kent, Brian Bennett and Tim and Kathy Fuller, took part in a discussion on plans to roll out a far-to-school pilot program this coming school year. Pictured are (l-r) around the table are Adirondack North Country Association Agriculture and Local Economies Director Josh Bakelaar; Assemblywoman Addie Russell; Daniel Martin, Martin's Foodstand; Dr. John Dewar, president of the North Country Grown Cooperative, Inc., Board of Directors; Patrick Ames, executive director of Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County; and John Warner of New York Farm Bureau. Back row: David Stark and Andy Maslin of 24:45 organics; Bob Washo of littleGrasse Foodworks and Daniel Kent of Kent Family Growers.
Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell talks with Cornell Cooperative Extension Executive Director Patrick Ames and Andy Maslin of 24:45 Organics during a tour of the new commercial kitchen at CCE of St. Lawrence County in Canton.
Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell and Cornell Cooperative Extension Executive Director Patrick Ames talk about the agency's new commercial kitchen in Canton.
Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell talks with Brian Bennett of Bittersweet Farm about the farm-to-school pilot program.
Cornell Cooperative Extension Executive Director Patrick Ames, far right, showed producers some of the equipment that has been purchased for the commercial kitchen at CCE's farm on Route 68 in Canton.
Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell visits with Bob Washo of littleGrasse Foodworks following a roundtable discussion featuring growers and area school food service directors about the rollout of a farm-to-school pilot program in the region.
