Program Will Increase Purchasing of Local and Regional Foods for Use in School While Supporting Local, Small to Mid-Scale, Historically Disadvantaged Farmers, and Producers
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Education (DOE) Chancellor David C. Banks today announced that the DOE Office of Food and Nutrition Services (OFNS) has been awarded $8.4 million through the Local Food for Schools grant. The funds, allocated by the New York State Education Department, will be used to purchase locally grown foods from local producers, small businesses, and historically disadvantaged farmers and producers.
“From introducing Plant-Powered Fridays to launching our inaugural Chefs Council, the changes we’ve made to our school menus have been nothing short of transformative,” said Mayor Adams. “Now with this new grant, we will deepen our efforts to ensure all our children have access to healthy, nourishing, culturally appropriate meals, in partnership with our local producers.”
“Schools are the centers of our communities, and our school food programs go beyond providing every student with a nutritious meal each day. A major focus for NYC Public Schools is ensuring that the meals we serve contribute to our sustainability efforts and bolster our local economic communities,” said DOE Chancellor David C. Banks. “I’m thrilled to further deepen our partnership with New York State producers and farmers through this grant, working together to raise our next generation of sustainable and health-minded leaders.”
“This is a big win-win for our students and local farmers/producers, helping to ensure that the food we serve in schools is healthy, and locally sourced and grown,” said Mayor’s Office of Urban Agriculture Executive Director Qiana Mickie. “The Mayor’s Office of Urban Agriculture is focused on creating opportunity for our local farming community, while ensuring that New Yorkers benefit from increased access to fresh, healthy food. This grant will go a long way towards deepening that mission.”
“Healthy school meals are a priority of the Adams administration from Meatless Mondays to Plant-Powered Fridays to this Local Food for Schools grant announcement,” said Mayor’s Office of Food Policy Executive Director Kate MacKenzie. “This grant will help to strengthen relationships with local producers and ensure our children sustain healthy diets to fuel academic excellence.”
“We are thrilled to receive the Local Food for Schools grant, which will allow us to further support our local communities and continue to provide nutritious meals to our students,” said DOE Office of Food and Nutrition Services Senior Executive Director Chris Tricarico. “By incorporating even more locally grown foods into our menus, we are not only ensuring the quality of meals but fostering a connection between students and the local food ecosystem, building a healthier and more sustainable future for New York City's school communities.”
The Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program, between the New York State Education Department and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), aims to increase purchasing of local and regional foods for use in schools and support local producers. It also aims to remove barriers and create lasting connections to strengthen food systems within school communities; strengthen partnerships between farmers/producers and schools; and engage with new local producers to bring them into OFNS’ regular school food pipeline.
OFNS will leverage its partnership with Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Mayor's Office of Urban Agriculture to identify a cohort of small to mid-scale, historically disadvantaged urban and rural New York State growers who are interested in entering the school food market. OFNS and the Office of Urban Agriculture will collaborate on training these producers so they can have an easier pathway to apply for OFNS contracts and sell their products to DOE schools. The Local Food for Schools funding will help procure fresh vegetables from these farmers, which will include diced white potatoes, diced butternut squash, green cabbage, corn on the cob, green bell peppers, and more.
The support provided through the training will directly increase the number of certified M/WBE, Good Agriculture Practice, and New York State Grown and Certified producers. It will also build relationships between local producers, DOE, and other city agencies.
The partners include:
- NYC DOE OFNS
- NYC DOE Division of Contracts & Purchasing
- Cornell Cooperative Extension/Harvest NY
- Mayor’s Office of Urban Agriculture
The OFNS contract management team will ensure a proper procurement process, and the supply chain will support distribution across schools. The menu management team will incorporate the new items into school lunch menus. DOE Division of Contracts & Purchasing oversees solicitations and purchases. Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Office of Urban Agriculture will support producer outreach, engagement, and training.
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