Southampton School District Receives $94K State 'Farm to School' Grant

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — The Southampton School District is one of only two on the North Fork and seven statewide to receive grant funding from New York State's Agriculture and Markets Farm-to-School initiative.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced recently that $500,000 was awarded to seven Farm-to-School projects across New York State to increase the amount of healthy, locally grown foods offered on school menus.

“These Farm-to-School programs are a win-win that supports New York farmers and helps ensure our children have access to healthy, locally grown produce," Cuomo said. "This is one more step toward a stronger, healthier New York for all.”

The Southampton Union Free School District received $94,863 in funding to support the East End Farm-to-School Project, which benefits 1,650 students in three school districts.

The funds will be used to hire a Farm-to-School coordinator, train food service staff, provide nutrition education to students, and integrate more locally produced specialty crops in school meal programs, a release said.

The funding was awarded to school districts and educational organizations that serve students in kindergarten through grade 12.

The awards will be used to hire Farm-to-School coordinators, train food service staff, provide nutrition education in classrooms and cafeterias, purchase equipment to support food preparation, and increase the volume and variety of local specialty crops, such as fruits and vegetables, nuts, and herbs, used in school lunches.

“The Southampton Union Free School District, together with Bridgehampton UFSD and Tuckahoe Common School District are elated to learn that they are the recipients of the NYS Agriculture and Markets Farm to School Grant," said Regan Kiembock, director of food service and nutrition at the Southampton Public Schools, said.

"The three school districts are ready to launch into their East End Farm-to-School Project to connect local produce with school meal programs as well as to develop school -based agriculture and nutrition education. The East End of Long Island has a rich agricultural history and is the perfect place to create partnerships between farmers and schools with the goal of increasing the volume and variety of local crops making it into school meal programs," Kiembock added.

Funding was also awarded to the Greenport Union Free School District on the North Fork, where $68,820 will support the district’s Nurturing Links’ North Fork Farm-to-Student Program.

The project benefits six school districts with 4,000 students. Funds will be used to hire a part-time Farm-to-School coordinator to train food service staff, introduce more local produce into school menus, and to increase student knowledge of local foods. A portion of the funds will also be used purchase equipment for school cafeterias.

The grant will fund services in six school districts, including Mattituck-Cutchogue, Southold, Greenport, Oysterponds, New Suffolk and Shelter Island.

"On behalf of a consortium of six school districts on the North Fork of Long Island, I am delighted to be one of only a handful of recipients of the Farm-to-School grant. We eagerly look forward to many opportunities to expand the health and wellness of the students, staff, and families of our respective school communities," said David Gamberg, superintendent of the Greenport Union Free School District.

"This is an important step forward and a wonderful opportunity for all of the districts on the North Fork. The health and wellness of the children of our respective learning communities will be enhanced as a result of this grant from the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets," Gamberg added.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone applauded the awards to local school districts.

“This is a great opportunity to provide healthier meals to students as well as educate them about the importance of good nutrition and how to achieve it,” Bellone said. “Our farmers will have a chance to show off their great products and connect with students to emphasize the importance of local agricultural efforts.”

With the Southampton and Greenport School districts combined, Suffolk County received the largest regional distribution of funds in the entire state, Bellone said.

Suffolk County supported the grants for the schools, facilitating the application process for local schools districts, Bellone said.

This is the second year in a row that the Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning assisted with a successful Farm to School funding application: In 2015, a $44,361 "farm-to-school" grant for the Brentwood Union Free School District approved by the United States Department of Agriculture.

With $240 million in sales, Suffolk is the third-highest ranking county in the state in terms of the total market value for agricultural goods produced, Bellone said, adding that, in the latest census, the number of farms in Suffolk climbed from 585 to 604 and the amount of land under cultivation increased from 34,404 acres to nearly 36,000.

Suffolk County agriculture is "by far the most diverse in the state", he added, and includes such products as corn, tomatoes, and potatoes, grape/wine, fruit trees and berries, greenhouse and nursery, livestock and dairy, hops and grains, mushrooms, and nuts, and shellfish aquaculture.

State grants were also awarded to the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Niagara County, the East Aurora Union Free School District, the Rural Health Network of South Central New York, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County and the New York City School District.