The bell sounds for the first lunch period at City Honors School, one of the oldest, most prestigious secondary schools in the Buffalo district. It’s hot dog day, but with a twist: Every item on the tray, except the bun, originates from New York growers or food producers whose ingredients come from New York farms.
The hot dog comes from Buffalo-based Wardynski’s Meats; filling out the tray are potato chips, broccoli, salad, milk and grape juice. Some students flock to the salad bar stocked with kale, broccoli, and red and green peppers, courtesy of Eden Valley Growers. A few others hurry off clutching a portable “fun lunch,” with New York baked into every bite: yogurt, cinnamon pita chips, string cheese, apple slices and granola.
“The only thing more popular is chicken day,” says cafeteria manager Crystal Humphrey. About 600 of the school’s 1,050 students will opt for a school lunch over the next couple hours; a sizable majority qualify for a free meal.
After launching as a pilot project in 11 schools in 2014, Buffalo F2S now extends to 100% of schools in the district. By spending $2.6 million on local foods, surpassing the state’s 30% benchmark, the district qualifies for about $1 million in reimbursements, which will help to further grow its F2S programs.
“Cornell Cooperative Extension and Cornell University have been providing coordination with local farmers and suppliers to help us bridge those gaps we were experiencing before the Farm to School program,” says Buffalo schools’ food service director Bridget O’Brien-Wood. “CCE has been with us from the very beginning. Cheryl doesn’t give up when it comes to our vision, and neither do I. This program would not be sustainable without Cheryl and Cornell.”
To reach the state’s 30% challenge, O’Brien-Wood relied on Thayer to outline procurement processes and identify growers, such as Eden Valley, whose agricultural and packing practices meet school food service standards. CCE-Erie County educators have helped Buffalo schools with nutrition and gardening programs, and advised on promoting F2S activities to encourage students and their families to try healthier options.
Adrienne Romanowicz, a mother of two daughters in the district, including a senior at City Honors, recalls being skeptical of the nutritional value of the school’s meals when her daughter started there. A volunteer with the school’s wellness committee, she’s observed the dramatic transformation under Buffalo F2S.
“Healthy eating is huge in a child’s overall well-being and their ability to focus at school,” she says. “Buffalo schools have invested in this at every level.”
Walczak, of Eden Valley Growers, has seen the excitement in his own kids, who come home talking about the fresh local corn or peppers, for instance, served at their schools in Eden.
“Our growers literally work from dawn to dusk,” Walczak says. “It doesn’t matter if it’s raining or sleeting, 90 degrees and humid, they’re doing whatever they can to get their products out there.
“Now we’re getting more and more into local schools, and for some kids it may be the only nutritious meal they get for the day,” Walczak says. “It’s very rewarding to know what a difference this makes.”
Ted Boscia is senior manager of academic communications in the Division of University Relations.
This article also appeared in the Cornell Chronicle.