Farm-to-School: How 6 New York School Districts Champion Local Food

This Farm to School Month, we're highlighting six visionary school districts in Tompkins County, New York, that are replacing ultraprocessed foods from school meals and bring farm-fresh ingredients directly into the cafeteria. 

The Value of Farm to School

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “farm to school” is an effort to serve local foods and provide education on food and agriculture to children in schools, child care settings, and summer meal sites. For every dollar spent on farm-to-school programs, an extra $0.60 – $2.16 is generated in regional economic activity. For farmers, fishers, and ranchers, selling to schools provides a steady income stream, diversifies their markets, and offers reliable sales and fair pay. Every school meal cooked from scratch represents a shared win for students, schools, and local agriculture.

Community-Led Purchasing

One major benefit of our School Food Reboot program is its joint buying power. Think of this like schools combining their shopping lists into one big order. Instead of individual districts issuing separate requests to buy food, they pool their purchasing power. They issue a single shared contract that asks local farmers, farm cooperatives, and distributors to supply the entire group. 

Farmers get a larger, predictable order that makes the trip worth it, and schools get fresh, local food at a bulk price they can actually afford.

What are the most significant challenges you face in ensuring a consistent supply of local products? How did you navigate that?

Henry Day (TST BOCES): “One of the biggest challenges we face is consistency in product availability and delivery schedules. Local products can be seasonal, and delivery days aren't always consistent, making it difficult to plan menus and ensure we have the ingredients we need. (They) may also require additional preparation, adding to the workload in an already busy kitchen. 

“We navigate these by staying flexible with our salad bar offerings and adjusting based on availability. We don't rely solely on local produce, but incorporate it whenever it is available. This allows us to feature local products while maintaining a consistent and appealing selection for students. Our goal is to continue expanding local purchasing while making the process more consistent and manageable for our kitchen staff.”

From Farm to Scratch-Meals

Highlighting local ingredients on school menus does more than support regional farmers — it transforms cafeteria comfort foods into craveable, scratch-made favorites. 

What is an easy way you incorporate local products without re-engineering your menu cycle?

Beth Krause (Ithaca City Schools): “We prioritize local produce whenever possible and offer it on our salad bar. Take delicata squash: we roast it with simple ingredients to bring out its natural sweetness, leaving the edible skin intact to save prep time. It brings a warm, autumnal pop of color to the line that the students genuinely get excited about.”

What is one recipe made with local products that you’re proud of? How did you ensure students would like it?

Henry Day (TST BOCES): “One recipe I'm particularly proud of is our simple local cucumber and tomato salad, made with fresh produce, including cucumbers and tomatoes from our garden, when available. We wanted to create something fresh, simple, and flavorful that would introduce students to locally grown vegetables in an approachable way. We kept the recipe familiar, focusing on fresh ingredients, a light dressing, and an appealing presentation.

“The students really dig this recipe! Its popularity shows that students are excited about fresh, local produce when it's prepared in a flavorful, approachable way. Seeing students enjoy the salad and come back for more reinforces our belief that school food can be both healthy and delicious.”

Getting a Taste of Local

Does knowing food is local make it taste better? Creative promotion and hands-on sampling turn local products into memorable, student-approved successes.

How do you communicate the 'local' aspect to the students? Does knowing the food is local change how they perceive it?

Can you share any specific anecdotes about student reactions to these locally sourced meals?

Katie Swearingen (Lansing Central School District): “I accidentally ordered baby kale. I was expecting kale leaves and had planned to make kale chips. I did not want the product to go to waste, so I ended up making a kale pesto and put it on pasta. We gave samples at each of our buildings, devoting the most time to our elementary students. 

“Our student engagement coordinator went table to table at lunch, offering samples of "green pasta." The kids were so excited that they couldn't wait for us to get to their table. I had parents emailing asking what the green pasta their child was raving about. They went home saying, "I ate green noodles today, and I loved it!”

What's Next? Tompkins Tuesday

Serving local food strengthens communities, supports regional farmers, and fuels local economies. When school kitchens are equipped to cook from scratch, they can directly source whole, fresh ingredients from regional producers. 

Building on this momentum, all six Tompkins County school districts are launching Tompkins Tuesday to serve a unified, locally sourced menu item each month.

As we continue to scale these strategies nationwide, this initiative serves as a blueprint for Chef Ann Foundation's broader efforts to eliminate ultraprocessed foods from school cafeterias and ensure every student has access to fresh, whole-food meals.

Want more stories like this?

Subscribe to our newsletter to have updates and stories on school food sent directly to your inbox.