Tompkins County Farm to School

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About Us

TCFTS is a countywide effort to enable schools in Tompkins County both to serve NY State farm-fresh products into their cafeterias and to raise student awareness of fresh farm foods!

TCFTS aims to provide resources and support, to help SFAs reach the procurement benchmark of 30% NY State food to qualify for a 25-cent per meal reimbursement under the terms of the NYS No Student Hungry legislation. See our  2019-2020 Program Report to see how we helped Ithaca Central School District and Trumansburg Central School District reach their 30% benchmark and partnered with rural schools in Tompkins to also serve local foods in highlighted menu items. 

TCFTS also educates farmers and distributors about how to sell to schools and other institutions by providing the food safety measures, delivery options, and business services needed for proper compliance. 

In 2021, with support from the Park Foundation, TCFTS expanded its educational programs in schools to further our mission to expose children to a variety of foods grown in New York, cultivating a lifelong appreciation for food, farming, and health. 

We are one of many groups working to build Farm to School activities in Tompkins.  See our Agricultural Education and Farm to School Directory here for a full listing with contact information. 

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Our Funders

Tompkins County Farm to School is grateful for the funding and support of The Park Foundation to expand our educational programs, which serves local kids and schools through direct education and volunteer training and facilitation. Thank you! 

TCFTS was launched through a grant from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets from 2018-2020.  

Last updated August 18, 2023