Newfield CSD’s farm-to-school program to hold inaugural fall harvest dinner

Newfield Central School District’s (CSD) farm-to-school program works to connect the three C’s: community, classroom and cafeteria.

Laurie Pattington, Newfield CSD’s farm-to-school teacher since March, said that the community aspect of the program is for the town but also for local farms.

Pattington’s job — with assistance from a committee of parents and teachers — is to provide lessons on nutrition, teach children to be courageous eaters, grow food in a garden with the children and provide a valued connection in the community.

The program’s mission is to “cultivate a healthy, thriving community by nurturing the bodies and minds of all students and families.”

“As we change how our cafeteria provides food, the food we provide will be more [local],” Pattington said. “Some of the ways we serve students will shift because the cafeteria is connected with a chef foundation.”

Pattington and students in the program will look to extend that community connection through the inaugural fall harvest dinner on Thursday, Nov. 14. The dinner will begin at 6 p.m. at the Newfield High School cafeteria.

“It’s a great way to really connect all of the three C’s. It’s a dinner for the community,” Pattington said.

The Walker Ranch, the third- through fifth-grade special education classroom led by Newfield elementary teacher Rachel Walker, is making specific meals for the dinner.

The meals will have the “three sisters” of ingredients grown together: corn, beans and squash. Each meal will originate from a continent or country, including succotash made in North and South America and two other recipes that come from Mexico and the Mayans of Guatemala.

Tofu will be cooked for the dinner, and State Bakery & BBQ in Newfield will smoke beets.

“There’s a lot of food being donated by a lot of wonderful people,” Pattington said.

Pattington and the farm-to-school program also welcome the community to bring a dish to pass as they “connect diverse cultures through shared food experiences.”

“Sharing food as a community is such an important way to connect and build relationships and understand one another,” Pattington said. “It’s part of our saying of ‘thoughtful choices and expanding pallets.’”

The district’s farm-to-school program will soon have a web page that includes a recipe box, Pattington said, giving the community an opportunity to provide various recipes.

“The page will be a resource for the community,” Pattington said.

The program, which extends from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade, has specific fruits and vegetables that are part of the harvest of the month.

September had tomatoes, and October included apples. This month is broccoli, with winter squash to follow in December.

Pattington noted that each grade at Newfield CSD is “connected to nutrition standards,” but grounded with a local food producer. From a dairy farm to a beet farm, Pattington added that the program depends on the curriculum.

“We connect with farms for different reasons,” Pattingon said. “Sometimes it’s getting food into the cafeteria, and other times it’s getting them to connect with students.”

The agricultural sector, Pattington said, is a “big deal” in society and the economy.

“Not only do we want to support our local farms, which helps everyone in the community, we also want to show students what the opportunities are out there,” Pattington said. “We also want [students] to understand so they can make healthy choices and be a courageous eater.”

All in all, it’s about teaching students and the community ways to implement a consistent diet.

“The more they’re exposed to food, the more likely they are to try it,” Pattington said. “The more often they try it, the more likely they are to eat it. The more we can get kids to eat a really balanced diet with a lot of vegetables, the better. The more local the food is, the more nutritious it is.”

People can RSVP for the fall harvest dinner at https://forms.gle/5CnLiVsFoEeSE4iJ8.

Newfield Notes appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com.

In brief:

Holiday craft fair at Newfield Elementary School on Sunday

The Newfield Lions Club will host a holiday craft fair at Newfield Elementary School on Sunday, Nov. 17.

The elementary school, located at 247 Main St., will hold the event from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The event will include 50 craft vendors and a bake sale. Refreshments will be available for purchase.

For more information, contact Kaye Harrington at newfieldlions@gmail.com.

Bells & Motley to perform at Newfield library

The Newfield Public Library has announced that Bells & Motley will perform on Nov. 21 at 6 p.m.

The musical duo will present “Music, World Instruments & The Science of Sound” at the library at 198 Main St.

The program will explore winds, reeds, strings, a variety of percussion and more. The duo will not only show how the instruments sound, but also how they work.

The New York State Council on the Arts and Tompkins County, administered by the Community Arts Partnership, provided funding for the program.

For more information, contact the library at 607-564-3594 or newfieldlibrary@gmail.com.