Vassar College to Host Farm-to-School Symposium

1500 Miles to Lunch? A Farm to School Symposium at Vassar College

Learn how to bring locally grown food to a school near you and why it matters from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 4, at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Join farmers, educators, students, dining service directors, and local food advocates as participants learn about existing Farm to School efforts and identify ways to start, strengthen or expand school-based local food projects.

The symposium features:

• Keynote presentations by Anna Lappe, coauthor “Hope’s Edge: The New Diet for a Small Planet” and Gary Valen, Director of Operations, Glynwood Center and early leader of the farm to college movement


• A local lunch (for which we’re asking a $5 donation)


• Lunchtime panel featuring Elizabeth Ryan of Breezy Hill Orchards, Andrea Azuma of the Cornell Food Project, and Krishnendu Ray of the Culinary Institute of America.

Concurrent workshops to focus on:

• How to/What’s next: Farm to College nuts and bolts.


• School Gardens, College Farms, and K-12 Farm to School: integrating educational “hands-on” and institutional “buy local” projects.


• Why buy local? An information panel

Workshops and panel discussions will be guided by leaders from Breezy Hill Orchards, Cornell University, Scenic Hudson, Vassar College Campus Dining, the Culinary Institute of America, First Harvest Cafe, the American Friends Service Committee, Sprout Creek Farm, Slippery Rock University, Green Teen Garden Program and more!

The symposium is free but space is limited. Please R.S.V.P to: farmtocollege@vassar.edu