Connecticut Department of Agriculture

Press Releases

Connecticut Department of Agriculture

01/05/2023

Connecticut Department of Agriculture Announces CT Grown 4 CT Kids Grant Recipients

$452,268 Awarded to 32 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 32 grants from the Connecticut Grown for Connecticut Kids Grant (CTG4CTK Grant), totaling $452,268 to develop and enhance farm-to-school programs. Established under P.A. 21-0002, S. 364, these awards 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.

“Response to the Connecticut Grown for Connecticut Kids Grant program has been tremendous and we are pleased to double the number of awardees this year with increased funding capacity,” said Agriculture Commissioner Bryan P. Hurlburt. “We are especially appreciative of the advisory committee members who participated in the review process to ensure these projects will have a meaningful and immediate impact on students access to fresh, nutritious CT Grown foods while providing interactive learning opportunities related to agriculture, nutrition, food and health.”

Eligible entities were able to apply for up to $24,999 in funding with no match required for projects that fit within four tracks:

· Track 1: Connecticut Farm to School (K-12) Local Procurement Grant

· Track 2: Connecticut Farm to School (K-12) Experiential Learning Grant

· Track 3: Connecticut Producer Capacity Building Grant

· Track 4: Connecticut Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE) Grant

 

The program received 72 applications totaling $1,022,285 in requested grant funds. Selection was highly competitive, and the review was conducted by a statutorily authorized review panel and Commissioner Hurlburt. This is the second round of the pilot program, which was funded for two years through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and administered in collaboration with the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) and the Connecticut Farm to School Collaborative (FTSC).

The fiscal year 2023 Connecticut Grown for Connecticut Kids Grant awardees include:

· All Our Kin, Inc: Increasing Farm-to-School Initiatives Within Family Child Care Programs

· Bright Beginnings of Fairfield, LLC: Bright Beginnings of Fairfield

· Bristol Child Development Center: Little Chef

· Bristol Public Schools: Seed to Table

· Brooklyn Elementary School: BES Greenhouse Project

· Center Elementary School East Hampton: Community Greenhouse

· Charles Barrows STEM Academy: Farming in Education Technology

· Charter Oak International Academy: Exploration of our Learning Garden Habitat

· Cheshire Public Schools: Cheshire Greenhouse

· Cobblestone Farm: Scaling Up Root Production

· Common Ground High School: Increasing Farm-to-School Procurement at Common Ground

· Community First School, Hartford: Farm to School Community

· Creative Kids Daycare: CKD Grow box expansion

· East Granby Public Schools: Nourish My Soul Farm to School

· Glastonbury-East Hartford Elementary Magnet School: CREC GEHMS CTG4CTK

· Lauren Little Edutainment: Tasting the Seasons

· Hungry Reaper Farm: Wash & Pack Improvement

· Hunts Brook Farm: High Tunnel Materials

· KNOX Foundation: Expanding Farm-to-School Program through Education and School Gardens

· Maple Bank Farm: Caterpillar Tunnel

· Middletown Public Schools: Track 2 Experiential Learning

· New Britain ROOTS: Expanding Farm to School in New Britain

· Ponus Ridge STEAM Academy: Edible U

· Sunset Farm: Farm to School Wash Station Expansion

· Sweet Acre Farm: Cooler Build

· Thames Valley Council for Community Action (TVCCA): Promoting Healthy Food Choices: A Partnership between ECE and Local Farmers

· Thy Neighbor's Farm: Season Extension Equipment

· Town of Manchester/ Manchester Early Childhood Collaborative (MECC): MECC Farm-to-School Program

· Watertown Public Schools: Watertown Grown 4 Watertown Kids

· West Haven Development Center, Inc: Onto Stage 2: From Farm to ECE, Expanding Children's Worldview

· Wintonbury Early Childhood Magnet School: Growing, Eating, Learning

· YMCA Hartford Region, Inc: YWCA Hartford Region Early Learning Center Farm-to-School Program

 

To learn more about the CTG4CTK Grant, including success stories from previous recipients, please visit: https://portal.ct.gov/DOAG/ADaRC/ADaRC/Grants/CT-Grown-for-CT-Kids-Grant/Success-Stories.

 

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.

 

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For Immediate Release: Thursday, January 5, 2023 Contact: Rebecca Eddy, 860-573-0323, Rebecca.Eddy@ct.gov http://www.ctgrown.gov