Skip to main content

2016-2017 New York State Farm to School Survey Results

During the 2016-2017 school year the NYSED Office of Child Nutrition and The Department of Agriculture and Markets came together to collaborate on a Farm to School survey. The survey intended to collect information about what schools were buying from New York State farms and how they were integrating those foods into school meals. See original survey.

Question 1 - Part 1

Do you use ingredients from New York State farms in your school meals?

87%

of schools surveyed say they use ingredients from NYS farms.

That's

429

Districts

With

1,968

Schools

And

1,131,734

Students

(Note: Of the 726 public school districts, charter schools, and BOCES in New York State, 74% completed the survey.)

 

Question 1 - Part 2

Where do you buy these ingredients from? Farmer 190; Distributor 397; Packer/Shipper 26; Food Hub 14; Other 31

*See Other results for this question

Question 1 - Part 3

Who helps/has helped you find farmers or distributors that supply New York State ingredients? CCE 73; AGM 16; Purchasing Manager 108; Local Nonprofit 38; Parents 25; USDA 119; Other 208

*See Other results for this question

Question 1 - Part 4

If No, why are you not using ingredients from New York State?

  • Limited Growers - Limited availability of products in the area
  • Cost
  • Unable to get products delivered
  • Purchase from a FSMC or Meal Vendor
  • Procurement is too complicated
  • Current distributors sell little or no NYS products
  • Limited prep time for working with fresh products
  • Growing season does not coincide with school year
  • School is too small to have buying power
  • Do not have time or resources to focus on Farm to School

Question 2 

What ingredients from New York State growers would you like to purchase more of?

Fruits & Vegetables - 114 Squash - 27 Peppers - 9 Oranges - 3
Leafy Greens - 65 Broccoli - 26 Herbs - 8 Strawberries - 3
Apples - 59 Milk/Dairy Products - 22 Beans - 7 Asparagus - 2
Carrots - 57 Corn - 17 Cabbage - 6 Breads - 2
Tomatoes - 51 Celery - 14 Peaches - 6 Grains - 2
Everything* - 36 Cucumbers - 12 Melons - 6 Spinach - 2
Pears - 32 Garlic - 11 Berries - 5 Beets - 1
Protein (Beef, Chicken, etc.) - 31 Maple Syrup - 11 Grapes - 4 Brussel Sprouts - 1
Onion - 30 Honey - 10 Oranges - 3 Plums - 1
Potatoes - 28 Cauliflower - 9 Peas - 3 Rhubarb - 1
*Would like to purchase everything if they could get it at a competitive price.

Question 3

If you are not currently purchasing local ingredients, what would you like to purchase from New York State growers?

Fruits & Vegetables - 15 Carrots - 5 Cauliflower - 2 Grapes - 1
Apples - 12 Potatoes - 5 Milk/Dairy Products - 2 Herbs - 1
Tomatoes - 11 Corn - 3 Oranges - 2 Mushrooms - 1
Leafy Greens - 9 Everything* - 3 Pears - 2 Pineapple - 1
Cucumbers - 7 Onions - 3 Bananas - 1 Protein (Beef, Chicken, etc.) - 1
Squash - 6 Peaches - 3 Cabbage - 1 Strawberries - 1
Broccoli - 5 Peppers - 3 Garlic - 1 Watermelon - 1
*Would like to purchase everything if they could get it at a competitive price.

Question 4

What percentage of your food budget do you estimate you spend on purchasing ingredients from New York State producers? None 33; Less than 25% 389; 25-50% 75; 50-75% 5; Over 75% 2

Question 5 

What are the three most common ingredients served in your meal programs that are produced at New York State farms?

Chart - Common Ingredients 1 Milk 2 Apples 3 Leafy Greens

Question 6

What are your barriers to purchasing more ingredients from New York State farmers?Cost 265; Lack of equipment 96; Cold Storage 110; Don't know how to prepare 13; Time 105; Where to buy 74; Distributors don't carry 152; No GAP farms 128; No support 23; Other 22

*See Other results for this question

Question 7

What resources are you looking for to introduce or increase your participation in the Farm to School initiative? Procurement training 106; How to materials 94; Proven recipes 135; More up to date equipment 112; Additional Funding 284; Other 117

*See Other results for this question

Back to the Farm to School Page

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

  1. mail:
    U.S. Department of Agriculture
    Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
    1400 Independence Avenue, SW
    Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
  2. fax:
    (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
  3. email:
    Program.Intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Click here for Nondiscrimination Statement translations.

Top