THE ASSEMBLY
STATE OF NEW YORK
ALBANY

Room 547 Capitol
Albany, New York 12248
(518) 455-5203
FAX (518) 455-5573
sternr@assembly.state.ny.us

Chairman
Felix W. Ortiz

Mark your calendars for New York Harvest for New York Kids Week, which will be held this year from September 28th - October 6th, 2002.

For those of you not familiar with this Week, it is designed to encourage children, their schools and their families to purchase, consume and learn about local foods and agriculture. Harvest Week is a part of the State's Farm-to-School Law and each year school foodservice directors, education professionals, health and nutrition programs, farmers, advocacy groups and other organizations are encouraged to create and initiate activities and projects in their communities. These events can take place in the classroom, cafeteria, farm or farmers' market, 4-H site or any other location. Many of your colleagues have already participated, please join in.

Here are a few examples from previous years:

• Charlotte Valley Central School organized a school visit to a local dairy farm;
• Buffalo schools participated in a Cooperative Extension Family, Food & Farm Tour;
• Just Food, a NYC sustainable food system advocacy group, organized a garden harvest party at schools in the East Village;
• New York Farm Bureau members visited several schools in NYC;
• Brooklyn School for Special Children had its annual harvest fair;
• In Nyack, 300 second graders walked to the local farmers' market to taste new fruits, and learn about honeybees;
• Idle Hour Elementary Students in Oakdale, Long Island and Green Meadow Elementary School in Castleton harvested their school gardens; and,
• Sullivan County Cooperative Extension organized its annual scavenger hunt at a local farmers' market.

Every year a package of materials is sent in May to over 1,400 school foodservice directors across the State encouraging them to include New York foods on the menu and involve their school colleagues and communities in activities. NY Harvest Week is not limited to school cafeterias but 1.5 million children buy lunches every school day! Over 700 organizations and individuals involved in agriculture, nutrition and education, including a growing number of teachers also receive a mailing. Remember the focus is on New York foods!

If you have any questions, suggestions or need more information, contact Bob Stern, NYS Assembly Task Force on Food, Farm and Nutrition Policy, Room 547 Capitol, Albany, NY 12248, 518-455-5203, fax 518-455-5573, email sternr@assembly.state.ny.us. In mid-May you can also check the Task Force web page on the Assembly web site, http://assembly.state.ny.us/comm, and click on updates where we will attempt to post as much of the Harvest Week material as possible.

Please send information about your school's activities. We would like to honor those who participate and share good ideas for next year!