Dear Reader,

At the end of June, FINYS held our fourth annual New York Farm to School Institute, where six school teams from across the state came together at the Mabee Farm Historic Site. Over the course of three days, the school teams learned about farm to school opportunities, and met with their colleagues and a coach to design action plans for the upcoming school year. We were joined by speakers such as food justice expert Qiana Mickie of QJM Multiprise, farm-based education specialist Jamie Levato of Fareground, Inc., and the chefs from Lenox Hill who led a live cooking demo for food service professionals.

Participants learned about incorporating culturally responsive foods into their menus, building sustainable relationships with farmers, and designing equitable curricula among other topics. We also enjoyed incredible local food from across the state, including wood fired pizzas by Pies on Wheels topped with local vegetables, as well as flavorful farm-to-table Korean fare by Sunhee’s Farm & Kitchen featuring foods fresh from an affiliated farm in Cambridge, NY. New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball came to speak on Wednesday night, and Capital Roots also provided an educational tour of their food hub operation.

Teams worked to develop their action plans, outlining programs such as cafeteria taste tests, harvest of the month education in classrooms, and farm to school program promotion for parents and the broader community. By the end of the retreat, most participants noted that it was “the relationships built throughout this entire retreat” that were the most valuable take away from their experience. We are so grateful to have shared these three days with such a great group of professionals in a gorgeous setting along the Mohawk River and look forward to sharing out the teams’ progress throughout this school year. The next application cycle for the annual NY Farm to School Institute will open in January 2023, and we look forward to continuing to support farm to school programs around the state!

With gratitude,

The FINYS Team

USDA Farm to School Grant Awards Announced

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it is awarding more than $10 million in Farm to School Grants to 123 projects across the country. Additionally, for the first time, the department is empowering states with $60 million in non-competitive grants to develop stronger and more sustainable Farm to School programs over the next four years. Both actions will help more kids nationwide eat healthy, homegrown foods. The 123 projects funded by the fiscal year 2022 competitive grants will serve more than 3 million children at more than 5,000 schools in 44 states and the District of Columbia.

Applications Open for the 30% New York State Initiative

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball announced that applications are open for reimbursement for the 30% New York State Initiative for the 2021-2022 school year. This initiative increases the reimbursement schools receive for lunches from 5.9 cents per meal to 25 cents per meal for any district that purchases at least 30 percent ingredients for their school lunch program from New York farms. As part of her State of the State commitment to better connect farms and schools across New York, Governor Hochul directed the Department of Agriculture and Markets to take the lead on administration of the 30% NYS Initiative as of July 1 in order to enhance participation in the program statewide.

SFAs must apply annually to receive the additional reimbursement for the following school year. Any NYS food product purchased and used in the reimbursable meals for the school lunch program may contribute toward the 30% NYS Initiative. Applications for reimbursement for the 2021-2022 school year are now open and are due August 15. Find out more about the program and how to apply at https://agriculture.ny.gov/30-percent-initiative.

News, Events, Jobs, and Funding Opportunities

• EVENT: White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health, September 2022
• JOB: Bilingual New York Program Specialist, American Farmland Trust
• JOB: Multiple Openings, Red Rabbit LLC
• JOB: Multiple Openings, GrowNYC
• JOB: Multiple Openings, National Farm to School Network
• COMMENT: House Agriculture Committee Farm Bill Review

Farm to Institution New York State is a collaborative initiative led by American Farmland Trust to strengthen the economic security of farmers and the health of New Yorkers by empowering institutions to spend at least 25% of their food budget on foods grown in New York.

Having trouble viewing this email? View it in your web browser