Local Beef in Local Schools

“Local Beef in Local Schools” is Farm Catskills' first event in its 2017 Farm-to-School Talk Series. Ken Jaffe and Julia Van Loon of Slope Farm to School will discuss how and why they have partnered since 2012 to bring local, sustainable beef to New York state school cafeterias. And there will be a tasting! Farm Catskills' own “Cow to Cafeteria” project, bringing local beef to Delaware County schools, will also be introduced. Attendees will also get to sample beef tacos.

Ken Jaffe has owned and operated Slope Farms in Meredith, NY For 10 years, mostly producing grass fed beef for NYC restaurants and butcher shops. Ken previously practiced medicine for 25 years, and studied public health at Columbia. He has written and lectured on the risks of human health from overuse of antibiotics in livestock. These concerns lead him to work on improving the quality and safety of beef used in schools. For the past three years, Ken has partnered with Julia Van Loon in developing and promoting sustainable beef for New York’s Schools and Institutions.

Julia Van Loon has been a champion for School Food Reform since 2006. Julia is president of Slate Foods, a New York State (NYS) Certified Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE), and partners with Ken Jaffe to bring Slope Farm to School Beef to private and institutional markets in NY State. A native New Yorker, Julia has thirty-five years of hospitality and foodservice business experience.

Farm Catskills brings communities, schools, and farmers in Delaware County together through food-focused programming and initiatives. Our Cow to Cafeteria program connects schools to local farmers who provide ground beef for school lunches. The program educates kids about where their food comes from while providing delicious meals.