Farm to You Fest! NYHNYK is a weeklong celebration of local food and agriculture. Every year, more and more schools throughout the state organize fun and educational activities for their students. Farm to You Fest! NYHNYK is an exciting opportunity for schools and communities to learn about New York agriculture, enjoy locally-grown foods, and inspire healthy food choices.

"Help connect New York school children to healthy, delicious, local foods!" Letter from Commissioner Hooker

Here are some award winning activities that you can do during Farm to You Fest! NYHNYK week:

• School cafeterias can feature NY farm products on their menus; provide healthy recipes to children and parents
• Classrooms can do food-tastings with local items such as apples and cheeses
• Plan a visit to a local farm or farmers’ market
• Play a Nutrition Trivia Game in the classroom
• Invite a farmer, nutritionist, Dairy Princess, or Cornell University Cooperative Extension Educator into the classroom
• Plan a Health Fair that includes local foods and farm activities
• Daily cafeteria menu can highlight the great NYS apple: Monday Apple Cider; Tuesday Apple Crisp; Wednesday Applesauce; Thursday Warm Cinnamon Apples; and Friday Apples & peanut butter dip
• Organize demonstrations like a cider press or corn roasting and enjoy the proceeds
• Organize a healthy, local food scavenger hunt at a farmers’ market
• Host a Harvest Festival; include activities such as a petting zoo, square dance, cow milking, potato sack races