Farm to Cafeteria is an exciting new program designed to help agricultural producers and institutional cafeterias work together to provide farm-fresh healthy choices for school students, patients and other consumers, in and around Ontario County.

To find out what each of the participating farms produces and when it will be in season,

click on the name of the farm in the list. Presently there are 6 Ontario County cafeterias and 8 farms participating in the pilot stage of this program.  If you are a producer or institution, and would like to be included in this partnership, please contact Deb Denome at Seeking Common Ground.

The Canandaigua Lake Foodshed: Farm-to-Cafeteria program is a project of Seeking Common Ground in collaboration with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ontario County, Cornell's Farm-to-School program, Bloomfield Central School District, Happy Goat Farm and Rosecrest Farm.  The program is funded in large part by a grant from USDA Northeast SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education).

Farm to Cafeteria has been led by Seeking Common Ground with funding support from Northeast SARE. Cornell Cooperative Extension and participating farmers have joing Seeking Common Ground to successfully connect local farms with institutional cafeterias. For more information on Forming Farm-to-Cafeteria Connections in Your Community.


Farm to Cafeteria Update: Spring Harvest Day
Thursday, June 19, 2008, is the Farm to Cafeteria Spring Harvest Day! All interested cafeterias are welcome. Cafeterias will be featuring a menu item using local strawberries and dairy.

As of now, the participating cafeterias are Thompson Hospital, Ferris Hills and Clark Meadows, Bloomfield Central School, Victor Central School, Geneva Schools, the Ontario County Office for the Aging and the Ontario County Health Facility.

These cafeterias will be serving strawberries from James Sheppard's Farm (585) 526-6606 and White's Farm Market (585) 657-7656. The dairy will be purchased from Upstate Farms (716) 892-3156 or Perry's Ice Cream (716) 542-5492 or (800) 873-7797 (toll-free).

Banners or fliers are available to all participating cafeterias upon request. The strawberries will be delicious, fresh and juicy because they are in season and will have been delivered just after their harvest. But, also important, choosing these strawberries helps to make a direct impact on the community in a positive way.

Please join us on Thursday, June 19th, 2008 for a taste of the spring season. We will be sponsoring an Autumn Harvest Day in the fall, probably October. Stay tuned for more information regarding the Autumn Harvest Day.

Any interested cafeterias or farmers can contact Deborah Muntner, Farm to Cafeteria Coordinator at (585) 393-9073 or dmuntner@hotmail.com