Farm-to-School Initiatives Support Farmers and Students
Healthy Communities in New York
Increasing Food Access and Supporting Economic Opportunities
The Department is committed to helping New Yorkers increase their access to fresh, local, healthy foods, and supporting new economic opportunities for farmers, through programs such as the Community Gardens program, the Council on Hunger and Food Policy, and the Farmers' Market Nutrition Program.
Farm-to-School
Connecting Schools with Local Farms and Food Producers
The Department helps schools, farms, distributors, and other supporting organizations provide our school children with nutritious, delicious, seasonally varied meals from foods produced by local farms and food processors.
Commissioner Ball harvests potatoes with a student as part of a Farm-to-School event.
Students eat lunch in a greenhouse after harvesting squash.
Students learn to grow and harvest their own potatoes.
A group of students prepares to harvest squash on a Farm-to-School class trip.
Students learn to grow and harvest their own pumpkins.
Statewide Initiatives Innovating Across New York State
New York Food Supply Working Group
Improving the Resiliency of New York’s Farm and Food Systems
The New York Food Supply Working Group was created to define recommendations and make other observations relating to New York State’s food supply resiliency and self-reliance.
Made up of representatives from farming, food processing, food retail, academia, and more, the Working Group will develop a report on the state’s farm and food supply chain logistics to address market disruptions that occurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, food shortages, and food waste.
Community Gardens and Urban Agriculture
Building Greener, Healthier Cities
Connecting gardeners to resources in their communities.
Facilitating the use of vacant public lands for community gardens.
Innovating within cities to grow food, raise animals, and promote sustainability.
CONSUMER BENEFITS AT FARMERS' MARKETS
Expanding Access to Fresh Food in Underserved Communities
Farmers' Market Nutrition Program
FMNP supports improved nutrition through education and promotion.
Seniors who are low-income may be eligible to receive SFMNP checks.
Some women and children up to the age of five are eligible for WIC FMNP checks.
...FreshConnect Checks Program
FreshConnect was designed to support SNAP consumers and local farmers.
SNAP recipients may use their benefits at a participating farmers’ market.
Veterans and service members may be eligible to receive FreshConnect Checks.