On Tuesday, June 10, South Colonie Central School District took a major step toward transforming its school meal program by hosting a hands-on farm-to-school training event at Lisha Kill Middle School. The initiative is part of a broader effort to bring fresh, locally sourced meals to students and promote healthier eating habits throughout the district.

The training, hosted in partnership with Cornell Cooperative Extension Harvest New York and Brigaid, gave South Colonie’s food service team the opportunity to learn from professional chefs and farm-to-school experts. Chefs from Brigaid worked side-by-side with district staff in the kitchen, providing real-time instruction on how to prepare nutritious, scratch-cooked meals using local ingredients.

“We want our students to be excited about what’s on their plate—and we want to make sure it’s good for them, too,” said Food Service Director Anette Sukup. “This training helps us build the skills and confidence to make that happen every day.”

Special guests included Katie Sheehan-Lopez from Cornell Cooperative Extension and representatives from the New York State Education Department’s Office of Child Nutrition, who observed the training and shared insights about scaling farm-to-school programs statewide.

Among the featured menu items prepared during the session:

• Fresh pizza made with ingredients from local favorite Uncle Rico’s
• Kale Caesar salad using romaine and kale from Capital Roots, finished with a house-made dressing
• Roasted broccoli, cooked fresh in-house
• Crispy kale chips—a creative solution for reducing produce waste

“This isn’t just about what we serve,” said Superintendent Dr. David Perry. “It’s about building a culture where students, families, and staff value fresh, local food and understand the impact it has on health and learning.”

The June 10 training marks the beginning of a district-wide effort to incorporate more local foods into school meals and explore opportunities for food education and sustainability in South Colonie schools.