On Board Online • March 16, 2026
By Eric D. Randall
Editor-in-Chief
For the second year in a row, Gov. Kathy Hochul has included money in her proposed state budget to ensure all who attend schools that participate in the federal meals program will receive free breakfast and lunch, and an official with the State Education Department (SED) sees no obstacles in the Legislature.
"There has not been any controversy with it," Kimberly Vumbaco, director of Child Nutrition Programs for SED, said at the 2026 New York Farm to School Summit, held in Saratoga in late February. "It's a no-brainer for legislators."
The event was hosted by SED and Cornell Cooperative Extension - Harvest NY. Vumbaco highlighted efforts by both to support high-quality school nutrition, including:
- Regional Roots. These free trainings, scheduled upon request, focus on cooking from scratch, kitchen efficiency and ways to incorporate locally sourced foods.
- Rooted in Learning. This educational program provides research-based, hands-on lessons focusing on agriculture, nutrition and gardening.
- Farm-to-School taste test kits. Available free while supplies last, each kit enables 50 students to rate experimental dishes. Contents include a tablecloth, sampling cups and rating displays.
Such efforts are needed because, as a nation, "we are eating the wrong things," according to the keynote speaker at the summit, Jason Evans, dean of the College of Food Innovation and Technology at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I.
The typical American derives 55% of calories from ultra processed foods, he said. That's part of the reason that the obesity rate for children is approaching 25% and we spend $16,000 per person on health care (18% of the U.S. gross domestic product) annually, he said, adding that all his statistics come from official U.S. government sources.
While it's hard to imagine many long-term trends reversing, school food service and nutrition education have "real potential" to have positive, long-term effects on the health of students, he said.
About 500 attendees shared insights during the event, including the importance of naming dishes. One speaker said Mexican Street Corn Salad became more appealing to student taste testers when it was made less spicy and was renamed New York Street Corn Salad. A participant said her kitchen's Squash and Tomato Soup wasn't popular until it was given a simpler name: Tomato Soup.