New York State Announces New Initiatives to Connect New York State Schools to Local Growers and Producers
State agencies meet with local stakeholders during Capital for a Day in Rochester to discuss ways to increase the use of fresh, healthy NYS products in schools across the state
Albany NY – (July 10, 2015) -- The New York State Office of General Services, Department of Health and Department of Agriculture and Markets today announced several new initiatives to better connect New York schools to local growers and producers across the state to ensure the use of fresh, healthy foods in school meals across the state and boost the agriculture industry. State agency Commissioners RoAnn Destito, Howard Zucker and Richard A. Ball announced the initiatives as a result of a successful listening session with stakeholders from the agriculture industry and state and local schools during Governor Cuomo's Capital for a Day in Rochester.
Capital for a Day was created by Governor Cuomo to bring state government directly to the people it serves. The day-long event partners state officials with residents, local leaders and stakeholders to examine first-hand the needs of a community and how New York State government can build upon its strengths and make a positive impact on its residents.
During the listening session, the commissioners joined leaders from the New York Apple Association, Farm Fresh First, Empire Potato Growers and NYS Vegetable Growers Association, Brockport School District and the New York City School Support Services, and engaged in a roundtable discussion about how to best work with New York State schools to increase the procurement of New York State food products. The discussion centered on the growers' delivery system and the school districts' needs and purchasing process, and how to make it easier to bring the two together.
The New York State Department of Health (DOH) announced, $6.7 million in grants to 26 organizations statewide to help increase access to healthy foods and opportunities for physical activity in high need communities. Through DOH's new Creating Healthy Schools and Communities program, the Department is working with local organizations to implement strategies to combat obesity and other chronic diseases in high-need school districts and their surrounding communities. Six organizations in Western New York will receive grants totaling $1,448,001. Grant awardees will work directly with school districts and food retailers in these areas to improve access to nutritious foods as well as increase opportunities for daily physical activity.
"Poor nutrition and physical inactivity are major risk factors for chronic diseases like obesity that are plaguing New York State," said New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker. "This funding will directly address these issues using proven strategies in communities of need. Our multi-faceted approach helps ensure that these communities have the resources they need to make it easier for people to lead healthier lives."
The recipients of the 6 grants in western New York are:
| Grantee | School District and Communities | Funded Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Chautauqua County Health Network, Inc. | Cassadaga Valley, Dunkirk, Jamestown, Pine Valley, Silver Creek, Ripley | $250,000 |
| Cornell Cooperative Extension of Niagara County | Lackawanna, Niagara Falls | $198,001 |
| Erie 1 Board of Cooperative Educational Services | Salamanca, Gowanda, Randolph, Yorkshire-Pioneer, Franklinville | $250,000 |
| Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency | Rochester | $250,000 |
| Genesee, Livingston, Steuben, Wyoming BOCES | Clyde-Savannah, Lyons, Romulus, South Seneca, Waterloo | $250,000 |
| Genesee, Livingston, Steuben, Wyoming BOCES | Campbell Savona, Elmira City, Prattsburgh, Waverly | $250,000 |
Grantees from the rest of the state include:
| Grantee | School District and Communities | Funded Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Capital District Community Gardens dba Capital Roots | Albany, Cohoes, Watervliet | $250,000 |
| Clinton County Health Department | Northern Adirondack, Chateaugay, Elizabethtown/Lewis, Moriah and Ticonderoga | $250,000 |
| Glens Falls Hospital | Granville, Hadley-Luzerne, Hudson Falls, Fort Ann | $250,000 |
| North Country Healthy Heart Network, Inc. | Malone, Salmon River, Brushton-Moira | $250,000 |
| Research Foundation for SUNY Cobleskill | Walton, Sidney, Charlotte Valley, Otego Unadilla, Richfield Springs | $250,000 |
| Seton Health Foundation | Hudson, Rensselaer, Troy, Lansingburgh, Schenectady | $250,000 |
| County of Broome | Binghamton, Deposit, Harpursville, Johnson City | $250,000 |
| Oneida Herkimer Madison BOCES | Adirondack, Holland Patent, Remsen, Utica, Whitesboro | $250,000 |
| Onondaga County Health Department | Syracuse | $250,000 |
| St. Lawrence County Health Initiative, Inc. | Clifton-Fine, Gouverneur, Massena, Norwood-Norfolk, Ogdensburg | $250,000 |
| Cornell Cooperative Extension of Sullivan County | Fallsburg, Liberty, Monticello | $249,718 |
| Nepperhan Community Center, Inc. | Yonkers | $250,000 |
| Orange County Department of Health | Newburgh, Port Jervis City | $250,000 |
| Rockland County Department of Health | East Ramapo | $250,000 |
| Western Suffolk BOCES | Wyandanch Shinecock, Glen Cove | $250,000 |
| Western Suffolk BOCES | Brentwood, Central Islip | $250,000 |
| Fund for Public Health in New York, Inc. | North and Central Brooklyn Districts 19 and 23 | $249,945 |
| Fund for Public Health in New York, Inc. | East Harlem District 4, Brooklyn District 16 | $249,845 |
| The Institute for Family Health | Bronx Districts 7, 8, 9, 12 | $250,000 |
| JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. | Statewide Center for Excellence | $504,120 |
The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets announced it will soon be releasing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for its new Farm-to-School program. The program will make $350,000 in grants available to school districts statewide for capacity-building to procure and serve locally produced foods on school menus. Eligible applicants includePre-K through 12 school food authorities, charter schools, not-for-profit schools, and other entities participating in the National School Lunch or Breakfast Programs and/or operating Summer Food Service Programs. The RFP will be released in August.
In addition, the Department of Agriculture and Markets also announced the participation of FoodLink in the state's Food Box program. Foodlink, a regional food hub and the Feeding America food bank serving Allegany, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming, and Yates Counties, will receive $100,000—$50,000 from the Department of Agriculture and Markets and $50,000 for training from Empire State Development—to serve as the upstate coordinator to increase the volume of local, New York State produce sold in to low-income communities in five Upstate New York cities. Foodlink will use its Urban Farmstand and Curbside Market programs as models for linking local farms to underserved communities. These programs have proven successful since they accounted for the distribution of 100,000 pounds of local produce in low-income neighborhoods in 2014. These programs also lead Upstate New York in the redemption of FreshConnect checks, a New York State incentive to increase the purchasing of local foods by SNAP users.
"The Department has been working hard to connect the dots between our New York State growers and producers and our New York schools statewide, and today, with the help of our partners and stakeholders, we're pleased to be announcing a major step forward in that mission," said Commissioner Ball. "We not only want to make sure that our school children have access to fresh, healthy foods, but also that they know where their meals are coming from. Through these new initiatives, our Farm-to-School program and the Food Box program here in Rochester, we'll help increase the use of New York goods in our schools and provide a boost to our thriving agriculture industry."
The Office of General Services announced it will continue their USDA pilot project for school districts through the 2015-2016 school year with a goal of making the program available statewide within the next two years. The project is designed to create opportunities for school districts to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables using USDA funding. They will work closely with Agriculture and Markets to develop new relationships with farmers, growers, produce wholesalers and distributors.
"I am very pleased to be participating in Governor Cuomo's Capital for a Day and to be working on the creation of a clear path for farmers to get heathy foods into local schools," Office of General Services Commissioner RoAnn M. Destito said. "With the greater Rochester area having the highest concentration of fruit and vegetable production in the state, directly connecting farms and schools here is a priority."
