May 30, 2023
Farm to Institution New York State (FINYS) is excited to announce the new school team cohort for the 2023-2024 New York Farm to School Institute:
- Brushton-Moira CSD (Franklin County)
- Howe Elementary School, Schenectady CSD (Schenectady County)
- Memorial Park Elementary School, Waterville CSD (Oneida County)
- Royalton-Hartland Middle School (Niagara County)
- Shaker High School, North Colonie CSD (Albany County)
- Skoi-Yase Elementary School, Waterloo CSD (Seneca County)
The NY Farm to School Institute is a professional development program for food service staff, educators, administrators, youth leaders, and community partners in NY schools and early childhood centers to develop and refine their farm to school programs. The Institute offers school teams enhanced technical knowledge and support on how to procure and prepare local foods, tools for community engagement, classroom and culinary education, and how to use farm to school programs to promote racial equity, food justice, land stewardship, and climate action.
These six school teams will join a growing network of school and early childhood program professionals across New York dedicated to providing youth with fresh, local foods and quality agriculture, land stewardship, nutrition, and food justice curricula. In its fifth year, the New York Farm to School Institute offers a full year of ongoing coaching support, virtual workshops on topics such as menu planning or multicultural literature in the garden, a fully customized farm to school Action Plan, a $5000 Implementation Award, and an in-person "Learning Journey" and farm tour in Spring 2024.
Schools will kick off their year at the three-day Institute Summer Retreat at Mabee Farm Historic Site in Rotterdam Junction from June 28-30, 2023.
Farm to Institution New York State (FINYS) is a collaborative initiative led by the American Farmland Trust to dramatically expand the volume of food grown on local farms that is served in institutions across New York. We believe that transforming the local food economy requires systemic change and efforts of many - from agriculture, racial justice, equity, youth leadership, public health, economic development, environment, education and other sectors.