New Britain, CT (August 1, 2024) — On behalf of the CT Farm to School Institute, New Britain ROOTS is excited to announce that we are a recipient of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 2024 Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant. CT Farm to School Institute is a comprehensive year-long professional learning opportunity that builds capacity in school communities by bringing together food service staff, educators, administrators and community partners to develop their Farm to School programs, and help bring more Connecticut grown food into the cafeteria, community and classroom. With the support of a coach, teams spend the next year putting their plans into action.
CT Farm to School Institute Project was awarded $97,927, which will expand programming to more Connecticut schools, provide funding for the two day Summer Retreat in June 2025 and critical staffing positions to continue expansion throughout Connecticut.
One of 154 recipients nationwide, CT Farm to School Institute will share knowledge and best practices for team members to engage with students in hands-on farm to school educational experiences, strengthen relationships between local farms and schools, and improve the local food system and economy through the growth of local procurement and food education at schools. Founding partners for CT Farm to School Institute are CT Farm to School Collaborative, FoodCorps and New Britain ROOTS. Other key partners that contribute to the success of the Institute in Connecticut are FoodCorps, New Britain ROOTS, UCONN Put Local On Your Tray and Vermont FEED.
“Partnering with CT Farm to School Institute allows us to continue to support the growth of farm to school programs in New Britain and throughout Connecticut”, said Joey Listro, Executive Director for New Britain ROOTS. “Congratulations to CT Farm to School Institute on receiving a USDA Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant. It’s a testament to their success and we look forward to working with them to bring their innovative program to more Connecticut school communities.”
“This is truly a collaborative program that brings innovative farm to school action planning tools and professional development to Connecticut schools and districts. In the two years since adapting VTFEED’s Northeast Farm to School Institute in Connecticut, we have seen how successful farm to school programs can grow by utilizing the Institute model of connecting classrooms, cafeterias and communities”, said Lisa Lenskold, CT Farm to School Institute Project Director.
The programs resulting from the CT Farm to School Institute seek to create a culture of wellness, improve food quality and access, engage students in agriculture and nutrition education, and strengthen local food systems.
“The Farm to School Institute is a proven model for building sustainable farm to school programming in schools and districts across the region. We are thrilled to support the Connecticut Farm to School Institute and look forward to seeing more teams and communities grow with this opportunity to provide more students with access to meaningful and empowering experiences with food and their local food system.” Dawn Crayco, Northeast Regional Policy Director for FoodCorps and co-chair of the CT Farm to School Collaborative Steering Committee.
USDA press release and list of awardees and to learn about the projects that USDA has funded through the Farm to School grant program here.