THE CONNECTICUT FARM TO SCHOOL INSTITUTE

About

The CT Farm to School Institute is a comprehensive year-long professional learning opportunity for Connecticut school teams to develop and refine their farm to school programs. With the support of a coach, teams spend the school year putting their plans into action and strengthening their capacity to impact classrooms, cafeterias and communities, with change that lasts. This is a direct opportunity to improve the health of students and strengthen the agricultural economy by bringing farm-fresh local foods into school cafeterias statewide. For more information, keep reading our check out the FAQ.

Watch the CT Farm to School Institute in action:

The Model

Farm to school is a comprehensive strategy with a goal of helping students establish lifelong positive relationships with food while supporting a more just food system. The strategies used to achieve this shift are: serving healthy local food in schools, improving student nutrition, providing hands-on food systems learning opportunities, and developing meaningful relationships between community partners, schools and students. Farm to school supports youth in connecting the dots of where their food comes from and how their food choices impact their bodies, the environment, and their communities at large.

Our Connecticut Institute is based on the long-standing and successful model from VT FEED (Food Education Every Day), in Shelburne VT, which a handful of CT schools have attended. In the summer of 2022, two members of our planning team attended the first ever NEFTSI Adapters Institute with the goal of adapting and developing our own version, to grow even more FTS programming across the United States. Learn more about how our program got started here.

Pictured above: the 2022-23 Northeast Farm to School Institute cohort

The 3Cs

The CT Farm to School Institute utilizes the proven "3Cs" model created by VT FEED. The 3Cs stand for cafeteria, classroom, and community, and ensure that teams are creating plans that incorporate all aspects of farm to school. Familiarize yourself with the model, by checking out the following resources created and distributed by VT FEED:

Pictured above: The 2024-2025 CT Farm to School Institute Teams participating in a school gardens workshop.

Participation

Benefits to Participation

Farm to school action planning: During the program, participants develop a values-based, school-wide farm to school action plan that integrates curriculum, local procurement, youth voice, and family and community connections.
Coaching: Teams are paired with an experienced coach from their state’s farm to school or early childhood network. You’ll have communication and meetings with this coach throughout the school year to assist you in implementing and adapting your action plan to meet the changing needs of your school.
Skill building: Participants engage in workshops designed around school specific roles, and meet with technical assistance providers to get support on their action plan.
Networking with peers: Individuals and teams share innovations and challenges, join in dialogue, and share with others across the state on best practices and resources to champion farm to school in years to come.
Whole-school teams: Role diversity on the team facilitates action! Strong teams bring together members from across the spectrum of farm to school to create lasting change. For more information about making a team, check out the FAQ.

Commitment

This is a year-long program kicking off with an in-person summer retreat on in June. The 2024-2025 Summer Retreat will take place on June 25th & June 26th at Yellow Farmhouse Education Center in Stonington, CT. Teams will implement their action plans during the following school year with the support of a coach.

Late Winter: Teams will be invited to apply, and chosen teams will be notified before the start of Spring. Applicants must have a team created prior to applying.

Late Spring: Teams will attend a one hour virtual orientation given by the Institute planning team for participants to be familiarized with the 3C’s framework, and review the agenda for the retreat. We strongly encourage live attendance, but it will be recorded for all to watch prior to the retreat. Additionally, you & your school team must meet your coach on a date set by you and your team prior to the summer retreat. This meeting is for coach introductions, and time to complete your personalized FTS Rubric and draft your values statement, so we can hit the ground running!

Summer: Attend our 2-day summer retreat in June. Here you and your team will dive into farm to school action planning, network with peers around the state, and explore farm to school possibilities.

Fall–Winter: Teams will meet regularly throughout the school year with your coach as you implement your action plan. Participants will support program growth and improvement through data collection, evaluation, and storytelling. There will be a required mid-year meeting with all teams in the Winter.

Spring: Prepare a year-two action plan with the support of your coach, and regroup with your cohort to share your progress and reflections in a year-end virtual gathering in late spring.