Commissioner Ball to Celebrate Milestone in Construction of Schoo...

Project Supports Scratch Cooking Using Local Foods in Area Schools and Provides New Market Opportunities for New York Farmers

WHAT: In celebration of Farm-to-School Month, Commissioner Ball will join the team at Champlain Valley Educational Services (CVES BOCES) and local farmers to unveil renderings for a brand-new $5 million commissary that will be built using grant funding from the first round of New York's Regional School Food Infrastructure Grant Program.

The commissary will feature a central food hub and two state-of-the-art educational facilities while the balance of the funding will retrofit existing school cafeterias which, when complete, will help improve meal preparation and distribution of foods that are sourced from New York State farmers at 16 component school districts and at CVES BOCES.

WHEN:Friday, October 11, 11:30 am

WHERE: 1443 Military Turnpike Plattsburgh, NY 12901

WHO: State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball

Dr. Mark C. Davey, District Superintendent

Meghan Dohman, Cornell Cooperative Extention Essex County Farm to Institution Educator

Zach Zarling, School Lunch Manager

Todd Giroux, Clinton County Farm Bureau President

Adam Hainer, Juniper Hill Farm Owner

Assemblyman Billy Jones

Senator Dan Stec

Michael Cashman, Town of Plattsburgh Supervisor

MORE: First announced in the Governor's 2023 State of the State, the Regional School Food Infrastructure Grant Program will provide $50 million over five years to eligible applicants in all ten regions of New York State to facilitate the on-site processing and preparation of fresh, nutritious meals; increase the use of more healthy, local New York food products in school meals; and provide a boost to New York farmers whose products will be purchased for these meals.

Administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, the Regional School Food Infrastructure Grant Program is providing the resources schools need to aggregate, store, process, and prepare farm products, and making it possible to cook fresh, nutritious, scratch made meals for school children. The program also encourages workforce development by providing training to schools, communities, and students for culinary arts, food processing, safe food handling and storage, logistics, delivery, and more, based on community need.

CVES BOCES was one of two organizations across the State awarded in the first round of the program. CVES BOCES is currently in its ninth year of participating in a farm to school program. The team works closely with the farmers in their community, using a geographic preference bid every year to procure local food while fostering longstanding, trusting relationships with their region's agricultural community. The organization serves local food every day for both breakfast and lunch to about 5,600 students in 8 schools in the North Country, including a colorful salad bar, locally sourced beef, eggs, yogurt, oats, wheat berries and lentils.