Local Foods, Healthy Schools: Schoharie & Otsego Counties

11/21/2025

We've had our last tasting of the month! Sharon Springs Central School students got a sweet treat today and had to guess what the "secret ingredient" was in the brownies after trying them.

There were some good guesses, and there were a few who figured it out. The rest of the students (and staff) were surprised to find out it was butternut squash! Most of our group voted that they liked the squash brownies, while others were not big fans of the texture that the squash gave them.

Either way it was a lot of fun and the kids got to try something new! The brownies were even made with local butternut squash from Reta Parsons Farm stand!

Come back in December to see what we try next! Or follow along to see more Farm to School content!

11/20/2025

Have you tried Hubbard squash before? I'm not sure I had it before today's tasting, but I thought it was delicious! However, not all the students of Cherry Valley-Springfield Central School agreed with me. The kids were divided pretty evenly on whether or not they liked this dish. I know squash can be a hard sell sometimes, but I'm glad they were still willing to try it!

The squash was roasted then mashed with some butter, brown sugar and maple syrup! If you put some marshmallows on top, you might mistake it for sweet potato casserole! Shout out to Limesprings Farm for suppling the squash and the maple syrup that were used in today's tasting!

Unfortunately, I was too busy handing out samples to get any pictures of the kids trying it. I'll let you imagine what kind of faces they made. 😁 Until next time!

11/18/2025

November is the perfect time to try a pumpkin treat! Today the elementary students of Cooperstown Central School District got to try a pumpkin parfait!

Made with NY yogurt and pumpkin spice granola from the local Hillview Stock Farm! It sure was tasty!

As usual the kids had a good time and were happy to try something new! If you want to make it at home scroll down to find the recipe! It's only 3 ingredients!

Stay tuned to see what we try next time!

11/13/2025

We got to try another tasty treat today! Students of Edmeston Central School got to try these homemade Butternut cookies!

These cookies were a hit with the students and they've requested that they get put on the menu in the future!

If you want to try these at home you're in luck! Scroll down and you'll find a picture of the recipe. It does say to use margarine, but you can absolutely use butter instead if you prefer.

Let us know what you think of this month's tasting, would you try one of these cookies? If you want to see what other activities we get up to, be sure to follow so you don't miss out!

11/12/2025

Come try a new recipe! With the temperature dropping and the snow coming down, it's the perfect time to make some soup using our Harvest of the Month!

I recently made a batch of this Butternut Squash Apple Soup, and it got a 10/10 in my house! Add a grilled cheese sandwich and you've got a hot cozy meal to enjoy after a cold day!

You'll need:
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 garlic clove, minced
6 cups cubed peeled butternut squash
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 large apple, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup water
1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup half-and-half cream

You will also need a blender to blend it all together for a thick, creamy texture.

I added extra broth and water to be able to cover the squash, but that could depend on what size pot you use. Don't be afraid to adjust a recipe, especially when it comes to seasoning, make it the way you like it!

You'll find the full recipe from Taste of Home here! https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/apple-butternut-soup/

If you would try this recipe, hit the like button. Or comment with your favorite squash recipe!

11/06/2025

Another exciting day for Farm to School! Gilbertsville - Mount Upton Central School District had their first Harvest of the Month tasting today, featuring Butternut Squash Bars! (Recipe below!)

To say the kids liked it would be an understatement, out of the whole student body, only 9 students said that they were not a fan!

We even had a few students ask for the recipe so I'm sharing the link to it here for anyone who wants to make it at home! https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/winter-squash-squares/ The recipe does call for a cream cheese frosting, but we opted to sprinkle them with a little powdered sugar, and they were just as good!

If you make some at home, we'd love to hear what you think of them! Comment your thoughts on this recipe and follow us for more Farm to School Content!

11/05/2025

We kicked off the month strong with our first tasting with Schenevus Central School District!!

Today students got to try some delicious butternut squash with a maple and cinnamon glaze. The squash was even for the local VanDewerker Farms produce stand.

I was happily surprised with how many students were willing to try it and liked it! I think this recipe will be making an appearance on the lunch menu in the future!

We even had a some special guests stop by! Therapy dogs Sadie and Billy were happy to hang out with everyone today during lunch. (Scroll for pictures 🐾)

Thanks to everyone who helped make this tasting happen. I can't wait to come back soon!

11/04/2025

If you are interested in learning more about Farm to School in New York check out the 2026 NY Farm to School Summit coming up in February!

The 2026 NY Farm to School Summit, co-hosted by New York State Education Department and Cornell Cooperative Extension Harvest NY, will have sessions for all Farm to School stakeholders including farmers and producers, food service directors, educators, school administrators, and more! The workshops,...

11/03/2025

New month, new harvest! Winter Squash is our featured food this month, and there are so many to choose from!

With so many varieties you are bound to find one you like. The most popular ones include butternut, acorn, hubbard, spaghetti, delicata, kabocha, and of course pumpkin!

Stay tuned for more squash facts, recipes, and program activities. It's going to be a busy month! Like and follow if you don't want to miss out on all out Farm to School happenings!

If you or your school would like to learn more about Harvest of the Month and get access to materials like this poster, you can visit our website https://cceschoharie-otsego.org/farm-to-school or contact Mariah Goodwin at mog27@cornell.edu.

10/28/2025

Today we wrapped up our October Harvest of the Month tastings with Cooperstown Central School District! 🍏

Thanks to Middlefield Orchard, we had 3 different apple varieties for the elementary students to try. We had Cortland, Fuji, and Pink Lady, and the Pink Lady was pretty popular with this group! 🍎

Make sure you enjoy some apples this week before the month is over, because next week we'll have a new Harvest to feature! Like and follow if you don't want to miss what we have next time!

10/24/2025

Happy Friday! It's been another busy week for the Farm to School Program, and we finished it off with another tasting with Sharon Springs Central School!

Students got to try 4 different varieties of apples: Macintosh, Granny Smith, Cortland, and Fuji. Everyone loved the apples, but I think Granny Smith came out in the lead for being the favorite! 🍏

During a tasting I generally have a sticker for the kids who tried it to take home, and today I also had some Farm to School Month bookmarks. And to my surprise I ran out of bookmarks today! It seemed just about everyone wanted the bookmark over the sticker. So make sure you ask your kids to see which one they picked!

Don't forget to share and follow to see more Farm to School content!

10/24/2025

🍎 We had another successful Harvest of the Month tasting today. Featuring NY apples and a homemade caramel sauce that was made from apple cider!

The students of Worcester Central School loved it, and I think that caramel will be coming back soon!

And thank you to my helper, Tyler, today I really needed a second pair of hands! It was great to have a New Visions Program student shadow me for the day to learn more about Farm to School!