Students at N.Y. school district to raise cows for nutrition program

Students at Windsor Central School District in Windsor, N.Y., will be raising cows for the district’s nutrition program, WBNG reports. 

Agriculture students will raise the cattle, which will then be butchered and used in school meals.  

The district is funding the initiative through $89,870 being provided by the state. 

Sourcing ingredients locally (and often, hyperlocally) has become more common as schools across the country use farm-to-school partnerships and onsite gardens to provide educational opportunities for students and, more recently, to combat the supply chain challenges that have roiled foodservice since the pandemic began.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is also supporting the use of local ingredients in school meals through its farm-to-school grants. Earlier this month, it awarded over $10 million in grant funding to support farm-to-school projects throughout the country.