Connecticut Local Food for Schools Incentive Program
A Non-Competitive Local and Regional Food Procurement and Reimbursement Program for Eligible Connecticut Boards of Education
Please read the complete program guidance document below which includes the maximum reimbursement amount for each eligible sponsor.
Webinar recording and slides from School Lunch Tray meeting on April 18- https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/SDE/Nutrition/SLT/2024/Summary_SLT_Topics_2024.pdf.
Attestation statement to opt in or opt out of the program https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=-nyLEd2juUiwJjH_abtzi3R8DAjN5_ZEj0WpkaSVjc1UOTU5OFZWMzUwUjczMllQTDZNNUU4TzlTTi4u
If you submit the attestation “opting into” the program, DoAg staff will be in touch to confirm your approval or if any corrections need to be made. We will also be offering technical assistance to connect with farms and navigate purchasing process.
The Connecticut Local Food for Schools Incentive Program provides reimbursement payments to eligible boards of education for the purchase of locally sourced food and regionally sourced food to be used in an eligible meal program. An eligible board of education shall be entitled to receive reimbursement payments in an amount equal to:
(1) one-half of such board's expenditures for locally sourced foods and
(2) one-third of such board's expenditures for regionally sourced foods
Example: If $2,000 was spent on locally sourced foods, the reimbursement amount would be $1,000. If $2,000 was spent on regionally sourced foods, the reimbursement amount would be $667. A combination of locally and regionally sourced foods can be purchased through the Connecticut Local Food for Schools Incentive Program and a claim for reimbursement may be submitted each quarter.
Connecting with Farms!
Looking for how to get started? Please visit the resource tabs on the right “Find a Local Producer” to check out individual farms in your area that you can purchase from as well as aggregators including local food hub such as the NW CT food hub, Brass City Harvest, Click, and Healthy PlanEat!
For any questions and assistance, please contact:
Hannah Carty at Hannah.Carty@ct.gov or 860-471-1620
Cyrena Thibodeau at Cyrena.Thibodeau@ct.gov or 860-895-3094