The Saratoga Springs City School District, in partnership with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County and Pitney Meadows Community Farm, will receive a state Farm to School grant to connect the school cafeteria and the students it serves with farmers and their locally produced foods.
The aim is to strengthen local agriculture, improve student health and promote regional food awareness. The grant will increase the amount and variety of local farm products on school menus and help to purchase equipment for food preparation. The district will work with Pitney Meadows Community Farm to plan on what to grow for the student menu.
The program will be introduced at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13, at the Board of Education meeting at the Saratoga Springs High School Teaching Auditorium.
“I am grateful the state has chosen to fund our partnership with Pitney Meadows Community Farm and Cornell Cooperative Extension,” said Margaret Sullivan, school lunch director. “Our goals of good nutrition for students, agriculture education, and the importance of future farms align perfectly.”
The grant will also provide funding for an agriculture educator through Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County. The agriculture educator will act as a liaison between the school and the community farm.
In addition, the educator will help coordinate opportunities for high school students to gain experience in farming by volunteering at the community farm to learn more about planting, cultivating and harvesting food. Elementary school field trips to the farm will also be offered through the grant.
“I am so pleased that in our first year of farming, Pitney Meadows will have this opportunity to work with the school district and Cornell Cooperative Extension to provide not only fresh, healthy and delicious food to students, but to also give them the education and knowledge which will hopefully set them up for a lifetime of healthy eating,” said Ken Kleinpeter, director of Pitney Meadows Community Farm. “This is just the start of bigger
things to come.”