Access to fresh produce is clear goal for communities seeking improved public health, and a lower carbon footprints. Yet these same communities face food insecurity, that is, a diet of processed fatty foods and high-fat meat products that are lower in cost, travel a great distance and are available in stores and fast food outlets. The Hudson Valley’s Orange County is among the highest consumers of meat despite its being home to many produce farms. In Newburgh, onethird of the population consists of diverse and largely poor school-age children, most of whom are food insecure. WHAT’S ON YOUR PLATE aims to change diets of the next generation as a way of influencing a larger shift to low-emission diets. It redesigns the food system to provide fresh produce and higher quality food, produced locally, in schools as the basis of health and food pedagogy. Many schools in the United States lack adequate cooking and food prep capacities to provide such meals. Using two schools in Newburgh as a test site, the project creates space for local food producers, school food authorities, students and local residents encouraging a new understanding of food, health and carbon footprints.