Farm-to-School 2021 Fundraiser

The Rondout Valley is one of the most fertile and productive agriculture centers in the world – yet many of  our families with young children will never eat farm fresh produce, shop at a farmer’s market, or visit a working farm. Many factors limit access to locally-grown food, not the least of which is a food system that promotes commodity foods grown in faraway places.

There is one place where ALL of these obstacles can be overcome...SCHOOL! 

In 2020, the Rondout Valley Growers Association and our partners brought “Just-a-Bite” to Ellenville school children. This program purchases local produce from Rondout Valley Farmers, processes it into bite-sized portions, and delivers it to school children.  Education is a vital component of healthy eating, so included with Just-a-Bite, each child learns about local farms, how the produce is grown, cooking instructions, and the health benefits of eating fresh foods.

This year, our goals are ambitious and your partnership is vital to bring locally-grown food to our school children.

1.   Expand Just-a-Bite to more Community Eligible Program (CEP) schools, where all children are eligible for 100% free-lunch.

2.    Bridge the financial gap for school cafeterias so they can purchase locally-grown foods to serve in school meals.

3.    Fund trips for school children to visit working farms in the Rondout Valley.

4.    Launch a pilot program to supply FREE Rondout Valley-sourced fresh food boxes for families in CEP schools, with multilingual and multimedia cooking classes.

100% of your donations will go to fund these programs. Our goal of $10,000 reflects our shared commitment to ensuring equal access to healthy, locally-grown food and education for all of our families with young children. 

Please give today!!!

Gratefully,  The Rondout Valley Growers Association