Hard-working individuals devote a percentage of their professional time guiding and implementing our program. People step in and out of various roles depending on the availability of funding for initiatives and the seasonal nature of the work.
Together, we strive to connect schools to farms and farmers to schools.
Abby DuBois
Campaigns Coordinator
abigail.dubois@uconn.edu
Zania Johnson
Zania will be working on a USDA Farm to ECE Mini-Grant Project with DPH. She will be overseeing and assisting early childcare centers with a CSA food box program and establishing garden beds for vegetable and fruit production. Zania co-coordinates the CT Farm to ECE Taskforce and serves on the New England Farm to ECE Project Steering Committee and the CT Department of Agriculture Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Access to Secure Land Tenure. She is the co-founder of Micro2Life farm with her partner.
Emmanuel Marte
Communication Specialist
emmanuel.marte@uconn.edu
Emmanuel brings a background in nutrition education, farming, and technical computer skills. Contact Emmanuel if you desire to shout out your farm-to-school efforts on social media. Emmanuel is responsible for running Tray's social media platforms and the Tray webpage. He is eager to help Tray reach a broader audience of farm-to-school supporters. Also, don't hesitate to contact him if you have questions or need guidance on shouting out Tray.
Jiff Martin
Sustainable Food Systems Educator
Phone: (860) 870-6932
Jiff.martin@uconn.edu
Jiff brings a background of coalition building and collaborating across sectors to build sustainable food systems in the state of Connecticut and across the Northeast.
Contact Jiff Martin, the Extension Educator and backbone of the Tray Program with any questions regarding UConn Extension Collaboration. She can help you understand where to go to get the resources you need within the UConn Extension network across Connecticut.
Shannon Raider-Ginsburg
Special Projects Coordinator/Farmer Liaison
shannon.raider@uconn.edu
Shannon brings a background in farming, teaching, and bringing people together around local food.
Contact Shannon Raider-Ginsburg,for help locating farmers, or to be added to the Tray farmer directory or join CTFarmtoSchoolMarketplace-L listserv, which is a place for food service directors and growers to connect. Shannon can also help Food Service Directors better understand the needs of growers. Shannon is available to help farmers connect to schools and schools connect to farmers.
Sherlene Rodriguez
Farm to School Specialist
sherlene.rodriguez@uconn.edu
Sherlene Rodriguez brings a background in nutrition and gardening education, program development, and strategic, thought leadership. She is focused on developing sustainable farm-to-school initiatives in Connecticut. Contact Sherlene Rodriguez, the Farm to School Specialist, if you want to learn more about ongoing Farm to School efforts in Connecticut.