Press Releases
02/04/2022
Connecticut Department of Agriculture Announces CT Grown 4 CT Kids Grant Recipients
$225,000 Awarded to 13 Public School Districts, Early Childcare Providers, Non-profits, and Small Businesses to Develop Farm-to-School Programs
(STATEWIDE) Agriculture Commissioner Bryan P. Hurlburt announces that the Connecticut Department of Agriculture has awarded 13 grants from the Connecticut Grown for Connecticut Kids Grant (CTG4CTK Grant), totaling $225,000. Projects shall develop and enhance farm-to-school programs that will increase the availability of local foods in nutrition programs, allow educators to use hands-on educational techniques to teach students about nutrition and farm-to-school connections, sustain relationships with local farmers, improve the health of children in the state, and enhance the state's economy.
“The enthusiastic response to the Connecticut Grown for Connecticut Kids Grant program reiterates the interest and need for programs such as this to educate children about nutrition while facilitating the connection of where their food comes from,” said Agriculture Commissioner Bryan P. Hurlburt. “We look forward to the outcomes of the awarded projects and the impact it has on the next generation.”
Eligible entities could apply for up to $24,999 in grant funds; no cash or in-kind match was required. Projects had to fit within four priority categories: Infrastructure, Experiential Learning Opportunities, Farm to School Planning, and Pilot CT Grown Purchasing Programs.
The program received 59 applications requesting over $962,000 in grant funds. Selection was highly competitive. The application review was conducted by a statutorily authorized advisory committee and Commissioner Hurlburt. The pilot program is funded for two years through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
The fiscal year 2022 Connecticut Grown for Connecticut Kids Grant awardees include:
- Bristol Child Development Center: Little Chefs
- East Hampton Public Schools: Memorial School Garden
- Groton Public Schools: Growing Groton's Farm to School Program
- Hartford Public High School: Hartford Public High School Greenhouse
- Lauren Little Edutainment, Hartford: Traveling School Yard Tour Program
- Meriden Public Schools: Creating Equitable Opportunities Through Farm to School Connection
- Naugatuck School District: #NaugyGrows
- New Britain Public Schools: Smith School Garden Expansion
- Regional YMCA of Western CT: Regional Y Gardening Programs
- Torrington Public Schools: Torrington Produce Pilot
- West Haven Child Development Center: Farm to Table, Expanding Preschool Children's Worldview
- Winchester Public Schools: Winchester School Produce Pilot
- Yellow Farmhouse Education Center: Experiential Professional Learning for CT Family & Consumer Science Teachers
Established under P.A. 21-0002,S. 364, Connecticut Grown for Connecticut Kids Grant (CTG4CTK Grant) is administered by Department of Agriculture through a combination of financial and technical assistance to help develop farm-to-school programs that will increase the availability of local foods in child nutrition programs, allow educators to use hands-on educational techniques to teach students about nutrition and farm-to-school connections, sustain relationships with local farmers and producers, enrich the educational experience of students, improve the health of children in the state and enhance the state’s economy.
The Connecticut Department of Agriculture mission is to foster a healthy economic, environmental, and social climate for agriculture by developing, promoting, and regulating agricultural businesses; protecting agricultural and aquacultural resources; enforcing laws pertaining to domestic animals; and promoting an understanding among the state's citizens of the diversity of Connecticut agriculture, its cultural heritage, and its contribution to the state's economy. For more information, visit www.CTGrown.gov.
For Immediate Release: Friday, February 4, 2022
Contact: Rebecca Eddy, 860-573-0323, Rebecca.Eddy@ct.gov
