North Country Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne, D-Theresa, says the 2018-19 state budget includes funding for the third year of a Farm to School pilot program in the North Country.

The budget includes another $300,000 to ensure students in her district have access to healthy and local foods and aren’t shamed for being unable to pay for lunch.

Jenne represents the 116th Assembly District, the so-called “River District.” It includes all St. Lawrence County communities along the St. Lawrence River, in addition to Canton and Potsdam.

“Programs like Farm to School do more than just provide our students with healthy food from locally grown farms. They help them excel in the classroom while reinvesting in our economy and strengthening New York’s agriculture industry. I’m encouraged and excited by the additional support this initiative has received in this year’s budget,” Jenne said.

She said the nearly $1 million she has secured for the Farm to School program in the North Country over the past three years has benefited farmers and students around the region.

"I've been to schools and seen students choosing locally grown, healthy foods. I've heard from farmers and growers whose bottom lines have improved as a result of their ability to sell their products to local schools," Jenne said.

The program supports initiatives in 19 school districts in St. Lawrence and Jefferson counties to purchase food directly from farms, with more than 150,000 pounds of food products being served in the past two years.

The Farm to School program is a partnership between local farms and schools to promote New York’s agriculture industry, she stressed.

Jenne said farmers and growers in the North Country and around the state will also benefit from a $10 million allocation to expand the Drive to 25 Pilot Program, which began in the North Country, across the state. The statewide funding will lag a school year as the state gears up to implement the program. Jenne secured the third round of funding for our local program to make sure there was no break in the program for districts she represents.

The pilot program allows schools to receive an additional state funding of up to 19 cents more per lunch for schools that meet set goals for expanded usage of local food products. It will mark the first increase in the state reimbursement rate in four decades.

"We have seen schools that have the proper funding prefer to purchase locally grown healthy foods. This increased funding will benefit farmers and growers, pumping more money into our local economy. I think the benefits of the pilot program have demonstrated the need to expand the program further," Jenne said.

The state budget also includes measures to prohibit meal shaming in schools to protect students from being singled out, provided a lesser meal or otherwise penalized for not having lunch money.

Legislation she authored to make it easier for school districts to purchase more locally grown food products was signed into law in 2016.