CT Fresh Ed Guide
CT Fresh Ed Guide: Farm to School Strategies and Best Practices (Coming Soon)
This practical guide provides actionable steps to grow and strengthen Farm to School efforts in local communities. Designed with educators, school leaders, and food service professionals in mind, it offers useful tips, curated resources, and real-life stories of best practices from Connecticut school communities. Whether just getting started or looking to expand an existing program, this guide will support the journey toward connecting students with healthy, local food and hands-on agricultural learning.
Introduction
- Why Farm to School
- The 3 C’s of Farm to School
- Partners in Building Farm to School
Cafeteria
-
Getting Started
- Defining Local and Regional
- Finding Local Food
- Seasonality
- Communicating with Farmers and Food Hubs
-
Buying Local Foods (Procurement & Incentives)
- Procurement Methods
- Informal Procurement
- Leveraging Farm to School Incentives
- Forward Contracting with Farmers and Food Hubs
-
Menus and Cafeteria Operations
- Building Buy-In with Cafeteria Staff
- Cycle Menus
- Recipe Selection and Adaptation
- Student Engagement in the Cafeteria
-
Taste Tests
- Cafeteria Line Strategies
- Salad Bars
- Harvest of the Month
-
Marketing and Promotion
- CT Fresh Ed Branding
- Celebrations and Promotions
- Engaging Student Leaders
- Youth Voice
- Family, Staff, and Community
Classroom
Community
Coordination
-
Building Capacity
- Developing a Farm to School Team
- Creating a Shared Vision
-
Funding
- Grant Opportunities
- Professional Development and Training