The Greater Johnstown School community will celebrate “Farm To School” Week October 15-18, to celebrate new resources that will be available to the District as the recipient of a $99,985 Farm to School Grant through the USDA Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program.
The District learned that they had received the grant this summer as one out of 154 grants awarded nationwide, and spent the first month of this school year developing the necessary infrastructure to help carry out the grant for the next two school years.
The District’s Assistant Superintendent Alicia D. Koster is the Farm To School project director. Rebecca Ferry, Owner/Operator of Dreamroad Farm in Johnstown (https://dreamroadfarm.com/) will serve as the grant program’s project coordinator, utilizing her expertise and network of agricultural connections to create meaningful Farm To School programming and opportunities for GJSD students.
The District’s Farm To School program will work in conjunction with local agribusinesses in Fulton and Montgomery Counties to increase access to locally-sourced and minimally-processed foods for school meals, incorporate agriculture-themed education and career exploration opportunities into student curriculums, and bolster community engagement by fostering relationships with members of the local agricultural market. Fresh produce will also be added to the district’s Backpack Program, which currently serves more than 100 families with weekly backpacks filled with food.
The grant will support the program for two school years (2024-2025 and 2025-2026). During that time, the District will formulate a plan to continue to offer Farm to School programming in its schools for the long term.
“We are just at the very beginning stages of this grant, with the opportunity to explore many different ideas over the next two school years,” Koster said. “Ideally, the District would like to utilize these funds to increase the amount of locally-sourced, nutritious, fresh food available for school lunches and create a program that honors the strong agricultural roots of this area by incorporating agricultural education into the curriculum.”
Through the program, students will go on agriculture-themed field trips, have guest speakers in the classroom, grow their own produce in gardens installed at each of the four school buildings, and explore different career paths in agriculture, among other activities.
“Celebrating Farm To School Week is a great opportunity for us to introduce our school community to the grant program initiatives and have a little fun in the process. Throughout the week, we will have special events planned in all four school buildings for students of all ages,” Koster added.
The District will mark the return of a beloved tradition by providing Johnstown athletes with fresh, locally-sourced milk, apple cider, and other treats at their practices and games throughout the week. Other Farm To School Week events throughout the District include:
Tuesday, Oct. 15:
- Pleasant Avenue Elementary Book Fair (4:30-6:00 p.m.); free cider, donuts and apples for students and their families, courtesy of Roger’s Orchard!
Wednesday, Oct. 16:
- JHS Open House (6:00-8:00 p.m.); make sure you visit our Farm to School table in the main lobby to taste some locally-sourced farm products.
Thursday, Oct. 17:
- Knox Middle School Open House (5:30-6:30 p.m.); visit our Farm To School table, which will include a petting zoo and the opportunity to taste local cider, apples, cheese and donuts. The table and free giveaways will also be set up for spectators of the varsity field hockey game starting at Knox Field at 4:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 18:
- District-Wide Big Apple Crunch Day (during the school day); staff and students at all four school buildings will be treated to fresh apples, courtesy of Rogers Orchard. High school students will compete in apple-themed contests during their lunch periods.
