30% NY Documentation Requirement Guides and Recorded Webinars

Becky O'Connor, Farm to School Coordinator, WNY & Finger Lakes
Harvest New York

October 13, 2020
30% NY Documentation Requirement Guides and Recorded Webinars

The 30% NY Documentation Requirement Guide provides general guidance designed to prepare School Food Authorities to be successful in their 30% NY initiative audits. The guide focuses on the documentation required to accurately and sufficiently demonstrate various types of products qualify as NY purchases per the NY State Department of Education's parameters.

While the NY State Department of Education was consulted in the development of the guide, School Food Authorities are ultimately responsible for ensuring their documentation is accurate and sufficient. We encourage you to work with a Farm to School Coordinator throughout this process.

In addition to downloading this file, you can also view the 30% NY Documentation Requirements for School Food Authorities recorded webinar and the the 30% NY Documentation Requirements for Food Producers, Manufacturers, Processors and Farmers recorded webinar. These webinars were developed as accompaniments to the guide, and provide a deep-dive into the documentation requirements for a variety of purchasing scenarios. They were specifically designed for their respective audiences. 



30% NY Initiative Documentation Requirement Guide (pdf; 2046KB)

30% NY Initiative Documentation for School Food Authorities Webinar PDF (pdf; 3247KB)

30% NY Initiative Documentation for Producers and Processors Webinar PDF (pdf; 3816KB)


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Upcoming Events

Biochar 101 for Community Gardens (Upper Manhattan)

October 25, 2025
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Upper Manhattan, NY

Join Karen Guzman and Dr. Rebecca Nelson of Cornell University, Bill Hilgendorf of White Feather Farm, and the NYRP Urban Ag team for a deep dive into biochar as a tool for waste management, carbon storage, and soil health in a community garden context. During this hands-on workshop, participants will have the chance to make biochar using garden waste and learn about best practices when applying it to a garden bed. Workshop attendees will all receive a small amount of biochar to take back to their garden.

Space is limited. Pre-registration required.

Biochar 101 for Community Gardens (Bronx)

October 26, 2025
11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Bronx, NY

Join Karen Guzman and Dr. Rebecca Nelson of Cornell University, alongside the NYRP Urban Ag team for a deep dive into biochar as a tool for waste management, carbon storage, and soil health in a community garden context. During this hands-on workshop, participants will have the chance to make biochar using garden waste and learn about best practices when applying it to a garden bed. Workshop attendees will all receive a small amount of biochar to take back to their garden.

Space is limited! Pre-registration is required.

Announcements

New Produce Auctions in NYS!

With the opening of the new Augusta Produce Auction on August 19th, New York State now has 11 produce auctions! See the new map of produce auction locations across the state and contact information.

New York Urban Farms Sustainable Pest Management Fact Sheet Series

Cornell Cooperative Extension has partnered with dozens of urban farms across New York State to demonstrate and evaluate sustainable pest management strategies. Together with farmers, we found success using control methods that prevent or reduce crop losses through exclusion strategies, crop timing, host resistance, the introduction of beneficial organisms, and more. Regardless of management strategy used, common requirements for success include a knowledge of the pest and disease complex, preventative deployment and commitment to the process. The New York Urban Farms Sustainable Pest Management Fact Sheet Series includes case studies highlighting pest management techniques that New York urban farms have found valuable.