Farm to School Program

The New York State Farm-to-School Program was created to connect schools with local farms and food producers to strengthen local agriculture, improve student health, and promote regional food systems awareness. The 2025-2026 Harvest NY Grant focuses on connecting classroom, cafeteria and community.

Harvest of the Month

Harvest of the Month is a Farm-to-School initiative that promotes different locally grown food items in classrooms and the cafeteria each month. In 2022, Cornell Cooperative Extension launched a Harvest of the Month Pilot program, that took place over 4 months, with three separate school districts highlighting four Sullivan County Farms and their harvest products. Recipes, nutrition, growing, and harvest information were shared with students in the lunchrooms to highlight the experience. In 2024 and 2025, educational programming continued in the classroom and in school gardens with support from Sullivan 180 and Harvest NY.

New York Thursdays 

New York Thursdays: a locally sourced meal initiative that brings farm-fresh New York State foods to schools and institutions on one or more Thursdays a month throughout the year

• This provides a meal created with ingredients sourced from NYS on Thursdays. This helps highlight local products and the local food experience, while keeping costs within reach for SFA’s and increasing locally sourced products.
• School Food Service Directors coordinate menus and work with staff and producers to offer local products on school lunch trays every Thursday, often including the in-season harvest of the month.

In addition, Food Service Conferences were held for cafeteria staff in August 2024 and 2025 to provide professional development and enrichment to food service staff across Sullivan County.

Through the Harvest NY grant, CCE Sullivan is available to offer Farm to School sessions to elementary students at Fallsburg (BCES), Sullivan County BOCES, Liberty, Sullivan West, Rockland Elementary & Monticello (KLR, Rutherford & Chase) during the 2025-2026 academic year. If you would like to learn more or book a session, please contact Joy Leon at jll362@cornell.edu.

Last updated December 18, 2025