Over the course of our lives, we take millions of bites of food.

The vast majority are not remembered. In fact, any bite that lingers in our memory does so at the percentage rate of a needle in a haystack. So when it happens and when the memory of a single bite of food stays with us forever it has more power than ever imaginable.

At A Single Bite we create opportunities for students where the memory of the flavor and the experience has the potential to change the trajectory of those who participate.  We teach young people the difference between real and processed food while feeding our neighbors and partnering with other agencies and organizations to collect and distribute healthy food to those who need it most.

Real Food Education

Each year, A Single Bite’s Real Food Education Program reaches 700 Sullivan County middle school students at a critical age - they are beginning to make their own decisions. The school program is comprised of four sessions that engage, empower, and educate young people to make healthy choices whenever possible.

  • Our first in-classroom session introduces the concept of “Real” Food versus Processed Food and empowers students to care about the food they eat and where it comes from. We ask students to take A Single Bite of foods that, perhaps, they have never tried before and have a Foster Supply Hospitality Chef explain the value behind local ingredients.  ASB students have tried Trout, Beets, Halloumi, Venison, Squash, Kale.  The list goes on.

    There is only one rule.  You must try A Single Bite.  

  • We then incorporate a farm tour to make sure that students can see where Real Food comes from.  They hear from local farmers and if possible, plant or harvest food that is later used in the classroom where students prepare their own single bites.

  • Our next session takes the entire class to one of Foster Supply's restaurants for a chef-prepared lunch, featuring local foods, where they hear from Executive Chefs and General Managers who speak about food sources, preparation, and their experience and passion around food.

  • Returning to the classroom, we review their experiences and continue the discussion about healthy choices, focusing on local food systems and opportunities for change.  We try a few more specially prepared dishes to further expand students’ palettes and we wrap up our program with a challenge to every student to implement small, healthy changes into their everyday life - A Single Bite at a time. 

Our Real Food Education Program Provides

Nutritional Education: Introduces the concept of Real Food versus Processed Food and underlines that the choices we make can influence our overall health.

Hands-On Agricultural and Natural Science Experiences: Field trips help students understand where Real Food comes from. They interact with local farmers and enjoy
getting their hands dirty.

Social Skill and Workforce Development: We take the entire class to a Foster Supply Hospitality restaurant where students hear from executive chefs about food sources, preparation, and professional opportunities.

Unique and Lasting Food Memories: Returning to the classroom, students review themes and continue the discussion about healthy choices. 

New in 2024:
Real Food


Real Futures

An apprenticeship program designed to cultivate food-centric interests, leadership skills, and career or college readiness.

We are very excited to build on our Real Food Education Program by introducing Real Food – Real Futures.

A Single Bite was founded on the premise that young people who are educated consumers can have a better chance of a healthy future. Underpinning our Real Food Education sessions by offering high school students opportunities for meaningful summer employment in a field that interests them is a logical step toward enabling young people to make (and afford) healthier food choices.  

Real Futures will collaborate with our community partners to secure paid internships, apprenticeships, and free mentoring sessions designed to cultivate food-centric interests, develop leadership, social and professional skills.  Students will have the opportunity to work on farms, in kitchens, with retailers, food producers, distributors, processors and hospitality professionals.  Understanding the many possible jobs that serve and are supported by the business of feeding people will open minds and doors to future opportunities for secure and successful employment.

Farm to School

Aggregation of local product that is specifically and lightly processed and packaged to conveniently fit into school meal programs.  We are helping food service directors and cafeteria managers put more local food on school menus.

making healthy, local choices accessible for all
sullivan county school cafeteria trays.

A Single Bite’s Farm-to-School program helps school food service directors incorporate locally grown foods into their breakfast and lunch menus. Working in the middle of the supply chain, A Single Bite identifies sources, proofs farm credentials, aggregates product and delivers directly to schools. With a soon-to-be-built commercial kitchen, A Single Bite is adding processing of this local produce to create more cafeteria-friendly items, as well as preserving seasonal produce to utilize throughout the colder months. A Single Bite’s mission is two-fold: increase the nutritional value of school meals and make the incorporation of local produce easy for food service directors and their staff with our processing and preservation capacities. 

We believe that healthy eating habits can be encouraged by just a single bite. Our Farm-to-School offerings reinforce the lessons of our education program, elevating the school cafeteria experience with high quality, local foods that taste better, are more nutritious, and support local, sustainable farming practices.