REPORT: Lewis County Cornell Cooperative Extension launches Farm to School Program
LOWVILLE- The Cornell Cooperative Extension Office of Lewis County is announcing the launch of its Farm to School Program, with initiatives included to provide increased reimbursement for schools serving New York State produces foods.
In partnership with New York’s Farm to School Program, the ultimate goal is to bring healthy, locally-produced foods to schools and support rural economic development.
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, which 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 – 5th grade classrooms within Lewis County.
For more information on this and other Cornell Cooperative Extension programs, please call David Nisley at 315-376- 5270, email
New York Department of Agriculture image.
