TOWN OF TONAWANDA — Kenmore Tonawanda School District is just one out of 16 school districts statewide participating in the New York State Farm-to-Table program.
The program gives schools 25 cents per meal for school districts that buy more than 30 percent of their lunch items from New York Farmers.
The program started when Ken-ton Food Services head Kim Roll and Thomas A. Edison Physical Education Teacher Nicole Zugelder wanted to bring more locally sourced options to their students plates.
For Zugelder, going to the lunchroom to see the kids eating the farm fresh ingredients is the best part of her day.
“I go down to the cafeteria and I see the kids eating the fresh corn on the cob or trying the homemade applesauce and I hear their kids say “I never had homemade applesauce before, this is so good,” “Oh, I've never tried corn on the cob every kind of corn I've had has been from the can,” said Zugelder.
During the month of September seniors in high school can receive a harvest box, 5th graders will receive a DIY apple sauce kit and kindergarten and 1st graders will receive a learning kit.
Each month will feature a different food item, this month's is an apple, which Ken-ton has received from Wagner's Farm Market in Lockport.
For Manager Troy Wagner, helping the kids receive fresh locally sourced foods is what the 50-year-old family owned business is all about.
“It's good to see it come back around. Local farmers working with a lot of local schools instead of getting frozen stuff or shipped in stuff,” said Wagner.
The Ken-Ton School District is hosting a Fall on the Farm Harvest on October 20th at Thomas Edison Elementary with vendors and families can even meet a real farmer.
