Farm to School Educational Program

Agricultural and nutrition-based education and cooking workshops will expose students to the locally sourced products available in the cafeteria through the Farm to School Program. These workshops will be available for all grade levels (K-12) in the 21 school districts participating in the Farm to School program through St.Lawrence-Lewis BOCES. Workshop content and cooking skill activities will vary based on grade and skills competencies. Secondary grade levels will have the opportunity to participate in a cumulative experience by way of a Jr. Iron Chef Competition. Additionally, a field trip experience mirroring the farm to school process will also be available for school groups. The goal is to connect students and community to the local farms, and to highlight the economic opportunities and impact that agriculture and the local food systems have with school cafeterias as a viable and reliable market for agricultural producers.

Ag and Nutrition Education for Elementary Grade Levels: Students will participate in classroom-based nutrition and cooking lessons that introduce them to the locally sourced Farm to School products available in their cafeteria (apples, carrots, tomatoes, butternut squash, cabbage, corn, etc.). Students will gain an understanding of agriculture, the local food system, and the producers participating in the Farm to School Initiative. They will build familiarity and confidence tasting and incorporating local produce into meals and snacks that they can easily make on their own. Activities are designed to increase long-term healthy eating behaviors that incorporate local foods.

• Session 1 - Wholesome Foods; Highlighting Apples
• Session 2 - Fun with Food; Highlighting Butternut Squash
• Session 3 - Food Cycle; Highlighting Carrots
• Session 4 - Recipe Makeover; Highlighting Peppers and Onions

Ag and Nutrition Education for Secondary Grade Levels: Students will participate in a series of workshops that build upon learning experiences over time. Activities provide in-depth exploration of nutritional content, cooking skills, and agricultural career and technical exploration in the areas of nutrition, agriculture, and local foods systems. Students may participate in the Junior Iron Chef Competition, a regional cooking competition that provides a cumulative experience celebrating local foods.

• Session 1 - Wholesome Foods; Highlighting Apples
• Session 2 - Fun with Food; Highlighting Butternut Squash
• Session 3 - Food Cycle; Highlighting Carrots
• Session 4 - Recipe Makeover; Highlighting Peppers and Onions
• *Session 5 - Ingredient Inspiration; Highlighting Tomatoes
• *Session 6 - Chefs in the Kitchen; Highlighting Cabbage

*Additional sessions available for interest in Jr. Iron Chef competition

2025 * Jr. Iron Chef Competition: Participating schools will be represented by no more than two teams of three to five each. Teams will create recipes using current school meal guidelines and must contain at least one ingredient from the Farm to School fresh cut product line. Teams will prepare the meal at the competition and make an oral presentation describing the dish, highlighting locally sourced ingredients, and the producer to solidify the connections between the product and the cafeteria line. A panel of judges will rate meals based on all required criteria. The top performing teams will have their recipes showcased on the participating schools’ cafeteria menus. The event is designed to celebrate the youth voice and unite community partners, school food services, students, and local producers.

This event will bring together community partnerships between schools, students, food service directors, local farmers, local business owners, and various other members of the agriculture and food systems sector, highlighting the importance of collaboration and impact agriculture and food systems careers have on the local economy.

*** The 2025 Jr. Iron Chef event will be a re-launch after a few years of hiatus and a switch in organizing agency. Information and details of the event will change annually to accommodate the growth and expansion of the program.

Local Foods Field Trip Opportunity: 

Participating schools may select to participate in local farm tours that highlight the producers, local food system, and the Farm to School Initiative. The curriculum will incorporate career and technical education, food processing and food safety, and agricultural economics. Students will follow the path the raw product makes as it is transported to the Harvest Kitchen, is processed and packaged, and is further transported to their school cafeteria. Field trips will increase the students’ understanding of the local food system and the role agriculture plays in the region’s economy. Field trips can be modified for all grade levels, K-12.

These agricultural and nutrition-based educational efforts will embed Farm to School activities into school culture, and will act as a catalyst for promotion and outreach to keep farm to school activities front and center in both the school setting and the broader community.

Learn more about the Fresh-cut Farm-to-School Program

Last updated December 2, 2024