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Tips for Planning NY
Harvest for NY Kids Week!

Recipe: Select tasty, healthy foods grown in New York, stir in partners for cafeteria, classroom and garden activities on nutrition and agriculture, season with creativity and fun!

Identify partners and resources in your school and community to plan activities: your staff, teachers, nurses, librarians, school garden coordinators, parents, farmers, food businesses, ag and food organizations.

  • Ask your principals and superintendent for their support, to encourage teachers and parent groups to get involved. People who grew up on farms, or have relatives in farming and food businesses, will often be enthusiastic and willing to help.

  • Contact NY Farms! 1-888-693-2767,  nyfarm@nyfarms.info for food and farm groups in your region that may partner with you.

  • Ask Nutrition and Ag agents at your local Cornell Cooperative Extension office for Ag In The Classroom activities, Fresh From NY Farms fliers and other nutritional information. Find your county Extension office at www.cce.cornell.edu/local_offices.cfm

  • Find local Farm Bureau chapters at www.nyfb.org/counties.htm and ask for help identifying farms for purchasing, farm tours, farmer visits to schools.

  • Contact the NY State American Culinary Federation for local chapter info and ask about their Chef and the Child Program. James Rhoads, 518-828-4157, chefjrhoads3@att.net

  • Look for local farms, cider mills, dairies and other agri-tourism destinations to arrange for tours or school visits at www.agmkt.state.ny.us/AP/FFGSearch.asp.  Choose your region and then select ‘farm tours’ from the farm product/service list.

  • Locate farmers’ markets at www.agmkt.state.ny.us/AP/CommunityFarmersMarkets.asp for class tours and/or to encourage students and their families to visit a farmers’ market or farm stand.

Plan a New York Menu

  • Let your suppliers know you are looking for New York grown foods -- ­ fresh, frozen, or processed. Ask them what foods they carry or can source from local farmers and food processors.

  • Tell your suppliers they can find sources of New York State foods on the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets web site www.prideofny.com/PONYSearch.asp

  • Visit classrooms to engage students in discussions of New York agriculture and the local food system. Ask them to share their ideas for the week’s activities, help plan the menu, create New York Harvest for New York Kids artwork, etc.

  • Plan product tastings of new or unusual foods,  prep and cooking activities in classrooms with chefs or Cornell Cooperative Extension nutrition educators, school assemblies or harvest fairs with local farmers and chefs.

Publicize Your Celebration

  • Draft a "Welcome Back" memo for early September distribution, with announcements on the planned activities, available materials for classroom, contact info for farm and farmers’ market tours.

  • Use the back of fall menus to give parents information about New York Harvest for New York Kids, recipes, nutrition facts, local farmers’ markets, facts about local agriculture (Find farm and crop statistics at www.nass.usda.gov/ny/CountyBrochures/county.htm or ask Cornell Cooperative Extension office in your county.

  • Ask your School District office to publicize the NY Harvest for NY Kids celebration in the District newsletter, in a take-home flier to parents, to the School Board, and with a press release to local media. Invite School Board members to visit the schools and participate in the NY Harvest activities.