About Garden State on Your Plate

Garden State on Your Plate, a farm to school project, brings fresh produce and products grown by local farmers into school cafeterias at lunchtime, where local chefs prepare simple recipes for tastings and for nutrition education.

The project began with a $30,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for the 2010-11 school year. Subsequently, under the direction of Fran McManus, coordinator, co-founder of PSGC and an emeritus board member, we adapted the program for a few years to suit a more hands-on approach for K-5 at-risk students attending the YMCA-based Princeton Young Achievers program.

The program continues to grow and thrive, with funding over the years from the Community and Regional Affairs department at Princeton University, McCaffrey’s Markets, Heartland Payment Systems, Church & Dwight Employee Giving Fund, and a partnership of bent spoon and Whole Earth Center.

After the pilot, Fran took on the program administration, growing wide and deep support throughout the community, and building connections to Princeton United Middle School and its Food Science course. Partners beyond Princeton Public Schools include, but aren’t limited to, the Arts Council of Princeton, Becky Graham, bent spoon artisan ice cream, C. Todd Reichart, Cherry Grove Farm, Gennaro Porcaro, Gloria Nilson & Co. Real Estate, greendesign, jammin’ crepes, JaZams, Jennifer Cohan/Savory PR, Jess Atkins/Stylebook App, Labyrinth Books, McCaffrey’s Food Markets, Nassau Inn, Nassau Street Seafood, Nutri-Serve Food Management, Olsson’s Fine Foods, Palmer Square, Princeton Day School, Princeton Family YMCA, Princeton Farmers’ Market, Princeton Soup & Sandwich, Princeton Tour Company, Savory Spice, small world coffee, The Costume Scene, Whole Earth Center and YourTownTube.

Fran has made progress on transferring aspects of the The Garden State on Your Plate program to the schools. NutriServe, before the pandemic, took on preparation of the dishes and is now supplying recipes, rather than a different chef and/or farmer each time.