Congressman Antonio Delgado spent about two hours touring the Sidney Central School District on Thursday afternoon, getting a hands-on look at the farm-to-table initiatives at the school, as well as seeing the facilities and the summer enrichment program. 

 

During the afternoon, Delgado visited some summer camp classrooms, saw the district’s gardens, and toured the school’s facilities and new Raymond Corp. welding room. He also had the chance to see the district’s aquaponics setup.

 

“It was a great experience to see the different ways in which the school has made a real intentional effort to diversify the educational experiences for the young people here,” Congressman Delgado said. “It’s a great example of what you can do when you put young people first and really think about how to enrich their lives.”

 

Sidney’s agricultural initiatives have continued to grow and evolve. The gardens produce vegetables used at the school for meals.  

 

“His time is extremely valuable,” Sidney Superintendent Eben Bullock said. “For him to take time away from what he’s doing and come see the agricultural initiatives we have going on is remarkable. I know he is a big supporter of agricultural initiatives, and for him to see a lot of the programs we have up and running now is a tremendous support. It gives us empowerment to continue to take these programs even further and hope we can have that continued federal and state support for farm-to-table initiatives.”

 

While visiting the gardens, the Congressman had the chance to help harvest some vegetables.

 

“It was amazing,” Delgado said of his visit. “And to understand and think through how this can continue to evolve and grow, and ultimately maybe even partner with local farms, and create an ecosystem here where the food the kids grow is the same food they eat in the cafeteria. That is a wonderful experience and it allows them to learn beyond the classroom. 

 

“It’s a wonderful district,” he continued. “A wonderful place for our young people to learn and I’m certainly proud to represent it.”

 

One of the summer camps he visited was science-based, and the students were showcasing their projects, which included volcanoes.

 

“He was great with the kids,” Bullock said. “It was nice to watch him stop into the summer enrichment program and have the chance to interact with the third and fourth graders and, ultimately, just spend some time in public schools. This shows his commitment to public education and opportunities for kids.”

 

For a gallery of photos from Congressman Delgado’s visit, please see below.