How often can you say you made the meal on your plate from seed to supper? Students in Colonie Central High School’s Life Skills and the CCHS Eco Club can. 

The groups teamed up to celebrate the season with a farm-to-table Thanksgiving meal featuring fresh produce grown in the school greenhouse. The feast included pumpkins, squash and potatoes harvested by Eco Club students. The partnership highlights both programs’ dedication to sustainability, hands-on learning and healthy eating.

"Partnering with the Eco Club gives our Life Skills students an incredible opportunity to see the full cycle of growing and sharing food," said Keri Martinez, Life Skills teacher. "It’s meaningful work that teaches responsibility, teamwork and the satisfaction of contributing to our school community."

The CCHS Eco Club partners with the school’s food service team throughout the year to bring fresh, student-grown produce into the cafeteria. Earlier this season, students harvested and delivered greenhouse-grown tomatoes and kale, giving their peers access to nutritious, homegrown ingredients.

Life Skills students play a key role in supporting the Eco Club’s work year-round. They care for seedlings in trays throughout the winter before the plants are moved to the greenhouse, and they water the crops daily in the fall and spring, with extended school year students pitching in over the summer.

From nurturing seedlings in the cold months to preparing a Thanksgiving feast, students experience how their efforts feed others and strengthen connections across the school community.