NY school districts receive grant for buying local

All four school districts in Seneca County, N.Y., have received a grant from the state Department of Agriculture & Markets to develop a farm-to-school program, Finger Lakes Times reports.

School officials say the goal of the program is to raise awareness of the local food system, increase the number of local farmers selling produce to schools, provide more variety of local products offered, and improve student health through the increased consumption of local produce.

Through the grant, the districts have hired a farm-to-school team, implemented a farm-to-school menu day and purchased fruit sectioners so students can slice their own fruit. According to research by Cornell University, students are more likely to eat fruit if they can slice it themselves.

The districts are also hosting a training day for foodservice staff next month. Chef Brud Holland will at the training day, teaching staff knife skills and fresh food preparation techniques.

Read the full story via fltimes.com.