N.Colonie CSD launches Summer Garden Market

LATHAM, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Though the halls are empty for summer break, students at Shaker Middle & High School (within the North Colonie Central School District) can be found outside playing sports, attending camp, or — picking up produce.

“The field hockey students who are here today on a really hot day come up to the concession stand and not one of them asked me for the candy or the drinks that are behind me. They wanted cucumbers!” said Amber Cost the district's Farm to School Facilitator.

It’s all a part of the school’s first-ever garden market. 

“They had cucumbers, tomatoes, snap peas and they were just eating them as snacks in between their field hockey clinic. It was really…just heartwarming" Cost added.

The Farm-to-School Facilitator showed NEWS10's Zion Decoteau where the farm-to-table process unfolds: right in the school's courtyard! A plant box was even retrofitted so wheelchair users could plant too. Students there aren’t just growing food for fun, it comes with a cause.

“It is unfortunately a reality that we do have students who face food insecurity every day. So, our hope is that by having these gardens and having so much fresh produce available we can mitigate that within our own community" said Cost.

The produce comes with the seal of approval from other students. 

“It's really yummy. Alexis came over to me and said do you want to bite of my broccoli and I said yeah sure it's really delicious,” 7th Grader Madison Baker told NEWS10.

“It makes me feel happy because even myself I try my best to help out others in need to helping like since all the food is free here it helps really a lot of people,” said Alexis Wilson, a middle schooler.

The produce is also open to locals in the community who want it. Leftovers are repurposed to make recipes that were printed on cards at a concession stand. Future 7th grader Sadie told NEWS10 she's looking forward to trying some tomatoes!

One of the drawbacks of growing food in the Northeast is the cold weather. Accordingly, Ms. Cost hopes the school can install a greenhouse to mitigate that issue during the winter time.