Local Foods, Healthy Schools: Schoharie & Otsego Counties

01/30/2026

We were back at Sharon Springs Central School today, trying something new! We made pear smoothies by blending canned pears and yogurt with a little cinnamon.

The kids had a blast as usual, and they really enjoyed the smoothies. They even requested that it be added to the breakfast menu! Another successful taste test for the books! Come back to see what we have next time!

01/14/2026

We had double the fun today with 2 pear themed tasting options at Schenevus Central School District! Everyone had the chance to try both the pear oatmeal bars and the pear smoothies!

The kids thought both options were great, but they absolutely loved the smoothies. I think we'll be seeing them again soon on the breakfast menu!

And don't worry, for those who wanted the oatmeal bar recipe you can save it from the photos below! (Check out our page if you want to see what other fun recipes we've tried this year!)

01/09/2026

Today we made up for missing out on our December tasting with Sharon Springs Central School! And we did it with a sweet potato casserole thanks to Melissa and her staff!

We had a lot of kids who tried the casserole even if they thought they wouldn't like it and I know the marshmallows were a big selling point for the younger kids. But in the end, most of them said it tasted great! We even had some come back for seconds.

We got lots of good pictures today, and we'll be back in a few weeks to try out our January harvest - Pears!

01/08/2026

We had our first tasting of the new year today at Gilbertsville - Mount Upton Central School District! Our Harvest of the Month is pears, so students got to enjoy some homemade Pear Honey!

The name is a little deceiving, as there is no actual honey in this recipe, but it is just as sweet and sticky! It's made by cooking down fresh pears and sugar and then adding in some crushed pineapple at the end. Today we tried it as a topping to some pound cake, and it was a hit, some of the kids thought it even tasted like pineapple upside down cake! I think it would also be good on some bread or even ice cream.

So, what do you think, would you try some pear honey? If you want to make this at home, the link to the full recipe is below! Feel free to follow along to see what other creations we try this month! https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/homemade-pear-honey/

01/06/2026

There is still time to register! All of the sessions will be recorded and shared to those that registered, so even if you cannot attend you can still receive all the materials and go through them at your own pace!

𝙃𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙚𝙩? 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙥 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙎𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙖𝙮!!

𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬!

Looking to diversify your markets, improve pricing strategies, or build your farm’s brand? Join us for a hands-on, four-session workshop series this January that explores direct-to-consumer, wholesale, and institutional sales.

Each session includes practical tools, activities, and insights from Extension educators and guests. Whether you're refining existing sales or exploring new ones, this series will help you plan for a profitable year ahead.

See the flyer below for dates and details
Register at: https://reg.cce.cornell.edu/farm_sales_243

01/05/2026

Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful Holiday Season! To start off 2026, we have a new Harvest of the Month - Pears! 🍐

Here is your Fun Fact of the day!

There are over 3,000 varieties of pears and they can be grouped into two distinct categories. Pears are native to both Western China and Southeastern Europe, and they each have their own traits that make them unique!

Asian Pears, also known as Oriental Pears, are more rounded in shape like an apple and usually have a rougher skin texture. While European or Occidental Pears, are the more common "pear shape" shape we think of with the rounded bottom and the longer narrowed top. And with so many varieties both groups can come in various colors!

So, if you've tried both, which do you prefer, Asian Pears or European Pears?

P.S. If you want access to printable materials like this poster and more, you can find them on our website under the "Harvest of the Month" section! https://cceschoharie-otsego.org/farm-to-school

12/18/2025

Students of Cherry Valley-Springfield Central School had a wonderful surprise for today's tasting, chocolate potato cake! Nearly everyone like it, and I can't blame them!

Since potatoes are 80% water, they helped make the cake moist and delicious and they even came from Limesprings Farm! This recipe used raw shredded potato rather than mashed potato like some other recipes call for. Scroll for pictures of the recipe or you can use find it through this link https://vintagekitchennotes.com/chocolate-potato-cake/ It also includes a peanut butter chocolate frosting to go on top if you want a little extra sweetness!

So, if you are looking for something sweet to bring to a holiday gathering or just want a fun baking project to do over school break, I highly recommend trying out this cake! If you want to see some of the other recipes schools' have tried this year, check out our page or follow along to see what we try next!

Have a good break, we'll see you in the New Year! Happy Holidays!

12/16/2025

Do you know what goes great with potatoes? The students at Cooperstown Central School District got to find out during their taste test today where we had cheesy mashed potatoes!

Mashed is one of my favorite ways to eat potatoes and you can make so many kinds just by adding something different! This one used cheddar cheese, a little butter, milk and black pepper.

The kids were pretty split today with their votes, but there were still more thumbs up than down for this recipe! What are your favorite things to add to mashed potatoes?

12/15/2025

Come join us for our new workshop series! Make sure you come to the second session to learn about selling to schools and getting involved with the Farm to School Program!

𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬!

Looking to diversify your markets, improve pricing strategies, or build your farm’s brand? Join us for a hands-on, four-session workshop series this January that explores direct-to-consumer, wholesale, and institutional sales.

Each session includes practical tools, activities, and insights from Extension educators and guests. Whether you're refining existing sales or exploring new ones, this series will help you plan for a profitable year ahead.

See the flyer below for dates and details
Register at: https://reg.cce.cornell.edu/farm_sales_243

12/12/2025

What better way to finish out the week than with a special treat! Today students at Edmeston Central School got to experience potatoes in the form of a donut, otherwise known as 'Spudnuts'!

The kids were all very surprised to find out that it was even possible to make donuts with a potato, but I assure you they were not disappointed. The votes on this recipe were pretty clear; they thought these Spudnuts were great even without icing!

Some of the kids even asked for the recipe, so if you are looking for a fun cooking project to do at home this weekend here it is! Spudnuts, from Red Star, are bound to be a hit, follow the link for the recipe that we used! https://redstaryeast.com/recipes/spudnuts-glazed-yeast-doughnuts/

Keep scrolling if you want to see happy kids and how we made these spudnuts go from dough to warm golden deliciousness! And come follow us if you want to see more SPUD content!

12/11/2025

We are all about potatoes 🥔 this month, so today Worcester Central School students got to try a loaded potato salad with bacon, featuring potatoes from the local Crossroads Country Farm!

As always, you can't please everyone, but most of the kids liked this new version of potato salad. Some of them even asked when it would be added to the lunch menu, which is always a good sign!

We'll be back in January for our next tasting, so follow along if you don't want to miss it!

12/05/2025

🥔 Potato Fun Facts! Do you want to know where you can find the world's biggest potato crisp?

This month we are celebrating potatoes as our Harvest of the Month! And do you know which state is the biggest producer of potatoes in the US?

If you said Idaho, you are correct! They love potatoes so much that they even have a museum dedicated to them. In Blackfoot, Idaho, you can visit and learn all about potatoes and see a giant, 13 ft long baked potato sculpture. The Potato Museum is also the home to the Guinness World Record holder for largest potato crisp!

Made in 1991, a team of Pringles employees made a potato crisp measuring 25 inches long, 14 inches wide, and weighing 1/3 of a pound! Pringles then donated their creation to the Potato Museum where it was put on display.

Why is it called a "crisp" instead of a "chip"? Chips are made by frying thin slices of potato. While crisps dehydrated potatoes that have been processed and formed into "chip" shapes by a machine.

If you love potatoes and want to learn more fun facts, like and follow our page so you don't miss out!

*Photo credits: Idaho Potato Museum and Reddit