BUFFALO, N.Y. — Kids in the City of Buffalo now have a new way to get local, healthy foods. The Buffalo Public School District will roll out its new "Farm to School to You" truck on Wednesday, which will make getting fresh meals as easy as grab and go.
The truck will drive up to schools and serve students lunches made from local meat, dairy and produce. The lunches are provided for free as part of the district's free meal program, which has continued as a pick-up concept while schools are virtual. The district's director of child nutrition services says this will allow them to send families home with a hot meal on those days, and teach children more about where their food comes from.
"Seventy-six percent of our children qualify for a free meal," Bridget O'Brien told 2 On Your Side. "So we know that that need is there. This is definitely you know, an opportunity for families to help meet their budget needs, especially in this crisis. It is open to any family, whether they are a Buffalo School student or not. It's open to children who are not in our schools, but might need our help during this pandemic."
The food truck will be shared with the school district's culinary program at the Emerson School of Hospitality and Occupation Training Center, so students can learn how to cook and work in a food truck setting.
All of this is an extension of the district's nationally recognized "Farm to School" program, which has been helping students access locally grown foods since 2014 and paid for through a state grant.