The Cobleskill Campus Child Care Center Receives USDA Farm to School Planning Grant

COBLESKILL — The Cobleskill Campus Child Care Center (CCCCC) is pleased to announce it is one of just nine New York grantees to receive a Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant from the USDA. The $43,000 grant, with support provided by partners, totals over $65,000 to fund a year-long planning process to bring a Farm to School initiative to Schoharie County’s youngest eaters.

CCCCC is partnering with with the Bassett Research Institute (Cooperstown, NY), Wild Tomato Consulting (Cobleskill, NY), Schoharie County Agricultural Development, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Otsego and Schoharie Counties, SUNY Cobleskill and local farmers to develop an action plan to bring locally produced foods and garden education to the childcare center based on SUNY Cobleskill’s campus during the next year. The project has already mobilized a steering committee to guide this work, with representatives from the partners named above as well as Center staff and parents.

CCCCC provides two full scratch-cooked meals and one snack to more than 70 children ages 0- 5 each day, with summer camp programs including school aged children up to age 12.

“We could not be more thrilled to be a recipient of a Farm to School grant,” CCCCC Executive Director Christy Scott said, “here in Schoharie County, we are surrounded by farmland and have a rich agricultural heritage so we are excited to connect local producers to our early childhood program. We know that investing in the introduction of fresh and healthy foods at a young age and connecting students to where their food comes from will build lifelong healthy habits. We are looking forward to strengthening our relationships with community partners, farmers and advocates to provide more fresh, locally-sourced foods and garden education to the children that we serve.”

Earlier this month, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the USDA awarded a record-breaking $14.3 million in Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grants to 154 projects in 43 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico. These investments will help 1.9 million children eat more tasty, nutritious foods in school, while supporting farmers and producers in their local and regional communities. This investment supports the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition and Health to increase healthy eating by 2030.

Farm to school opens opportunities for children to learn about nutrition and agriculture through hands-on experiences, such as planting, watering, harvesting and tasting new fruits and vegetables. The program also provides a pathway for more children to achieve nutrition security, which is the consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe and affordable food. These initiatives also may positively impact the local economy, as more dollars spent on local food from local farmers keeps money within the community. USDA continues to show its commitment to equity by reaching historically underserved and marginalized communities

through this year’s farm to school grants; more than one-third (35%) of awarded projects serve rural areas similar to Schoharie County.