CT Great Plates Contest
A statewide photo contest for schools and early childhood education (ECE) providers celebrating CT-grown, minimally processed ingredients in delicious, balanced meals.
CT Great Plates Contest
In celebration of CT Grown for CT Kids Week, the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) invites National School Lunch Program (NSLP) sponsors and (ECE) providers to enter the CT Great Plates Contest.
Submit a photo of a lunch currently served to students/children that features at least one Connecticut-grown, minimally processed food, in addition to milk.
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Note: Unprocessed or minimally processed foods include fruits and vegetables (including 100 percent juices); grain products such as pastas and rice; meats (whole, pieces, or food items such as ground meats); meat alternates such as beans and legumes, and dairy foods such as cheese and yogurt. Allowable foods also include foods in a wide variety of minimal processing states (e.g., whole, cut, pureed) and/or forms (e.g., fresh, frozen, canned, and dried).
Award Details
K-12 Great Plate Awards – For any K-12 school/district participating in the NSLP. Two categories are available for sponsors based on their experience purchasing CT Grown ingredients:
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Less than 2 years of purchasing of CT Grown ingredients. This category includes schools/districts that are new to school nutrition or new to purchasing local foods, or that only occasionally buy local but want to do more.
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2 or more years of purchasing of CT Grown ingredients: This category includes schools/districts that regularly purchase local foods for school menus.
ECE Great Plate Award – For ECE providers.
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Winners will be recognized at the School Nutrition Association of Connecticut (SNACT) Annual Conference on October 28, 2025, and will receive:
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free registration to the CSDE’s Farm to School Spring Conference where winners will be honored;
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recognition in CSDE and farm to school communications; and
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an inflatable cow from New England Dairy.
Submission Details
Submissions are accepted from September 8th, 2025, through October 20th, 2025. To submit a photo for the CT Fresh Great Plates contest, send an email to CSDEChildNutritionPrograms@ct.gov with the subject line "CT Great Plates Contest", and include the information below:
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Name and title of submitter
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District/organization name
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Award category (K-12 or ECE)
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Number of years the district/organization has been purchasing CT-Grown minimally processed ingredients
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Caption describing the meal, the CT-grown food used, and what makes this a “Great Plate” for the school/ECE community
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List of items sourced outside of CT but in New England or New York
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Names of farms where food was sourced
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All social media handles (district/organization and farms)
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Optional – attach a recipe (preferably standardized) for the featured local item
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Attach a high-quality picture of the plate/tray
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By submitting an entry, applicants agree to allow the CSDE to use the submitted photo and information for marketing purposes.
Example Tray
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Thanks to EO Smith High School for permission to use this example photo of a lunch served in 2024 featuring local produce.
Plate Requirements
K-12: Must depict a reimbursable lunch with all five USDA meal components (fruits, vegetables, grains, meats/meat alternates, and milk) with at least one CT-grown minimally processed ingredient in addition to milk.
ECE: Must depict a balanced age-appropriate lunch with these five meal components (fruits, vegetables, grains, meats/meat alternates, and milk) with at least one CT-grown minimally processed ingredient in addition to milk.
All Submissions Will Be Judged on the Following:
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Creativity
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Presentation
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Photo quality
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Number of CT-grown items
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Number of regional items (grown outside of CT but in New England or New York)
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Scratch cooking
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Recipe included (bonus if standardized recipe)
Resources
For tips on food photography refer to the resources below:
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Why LOCAL? Tips for taking a fabulous photo for the CT Great Plates Contest
Picture This: Showcasing School Meals to Your Community
Photographing School Meals: A Practical Guide to Making California School Meals Look Great​