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Raised on a farm in Cayuga County, I grew up eating fresh food grown and preserved by my grandparents. We were surrounded by close-knit neighbors who helped one another during the busy haying season. Food and community became deeply embedded in my identity, and those values have followed me into my career in education.

I began teaching in 2009 and now run the “Farm to School” program in Newfield Central School District in Tompkins County. As we’ve seen a resurgence of smaller farms that sell direct to customers, there is a “real food movement” taking place in school cafeterias around the country. In partnership with the Chef Ann Foundation and the Park Foundation, Newfield is a........

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