The Hidden Cost of Cutting Farm-to-School Funding

The proposed $1 million annual funding cut to the CT Grown for CT Kids program, expected to be decided by June 4, would strike a fatal blow to the already established farm-to-school initiative. The loss of the program, which is designed to foster long-lasting partnerships between food producers and young consumers like myself, would impact over 50,000 local school children who have learned about food and health through its grants for classroom, cafeteria, and community learning. It would also add pressure on Connecticut’s vital agricultural sector at a time when farmers are already reeling from federal cutbacks on subsidies.

As the founder of the Food Equity Initiative (FEI) (an umbrella organization that implements urban agricultural programs, advocacy efforts, education initiatives to enact food justice globally) and a member of the planning committee for the Connecticut Farm to School Institute (an organization dedicated to implementing customized farm-to-school action plans across the state) I’ve seen firsthand that school programs help students feel empowered to take charge of their health. These programs strengthen our ties to our farmers, land, community, and local economy.

Connecticut’s farmers pump over $4 billion into the state’s economy annually and support more than 30,000 jobs, making agriculture a backbone for the state that is often overlooked, and increasingly at risk. Between 2017 and 2022, CT lost 463 farms, squeezed by rising production costs, climate pressures, and an aging farming population. Programs like CT Grown for CT Kids are essential for reversing that trend, creating stable local markets that allow small farms to invest, hire, and stay in business. 

CT Grown for CT Kids is a critical economic engine that connects local farmers with schools, creates reliable demand for locally produced crops, provides Connecticut youth with vital nutrition, and keeps money circulating within our communities. Every dollar spent on local food generates more than two dollars of economic activity in our communities. It is a powerful multiplier effect that strengthens farmers, food distributors, and local economies. This funding is not a luxury. It is an investment in economic resilience. Cutting it now, while families face higher food prices and farmers face mounting challenges, would be short-sighted and economically damaging. Strong local food systems stabilize communities, protect jobs, and keep wealth circulating close to home.

Towns all across the state are ripe with examples of the benefits that farm-to-school programs can provide for local agricultural economic resilience. In New London Public Schools, CT Grown for CT Kids helped the district source apples from Bishop’s Orchards and lettuce from Hydroclay Farm, establishing direct relationships between food service directors of the K-12 public schools system and farmers. In New Milford and Shelton, Fort Hill Farm and Stone Gardens Farm received support to sell carrots and potatoes directly to regional schools. Even in Hartford, the Grow Hartford Youth Program has partnered with small local farms like KNOX Inc. to bring locally grown food into school lunches. This is local economic development at work: food, wages, and wealth staying right in the community where it’s needed most.

If Connecticut fails to restore the financing of CT Grown for CT Kids, we won’t just lose farms, we’ll lose jobs, income, and local control over our food economy. The funding (or lack of it) will be decided through the final state budget, with final votes expected by June 4. 

Now is the time for Connecticut residents to contact their legislators and the Governor and urge them to fully fund critical programs and invest in Connecticut’s economic future. We must all band together to urge Hartford to prioritize the importance of saving Connecticut’s farms. It is not just about preserving a public program; it’s about protecting jobs, stabilizing communities, and strengthening our economy. If we lose programs like CT Grown for CT Kids we don’t just lose farms, we lose a future where local food fuels local prosperity. Luckily, the brighter future is still within reach if we act now.

Call your state legislators and the Governor today. Tell them: fully fund CT Grown for CT Kids and protect Connecticut’s farms, students, and economy.