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.
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 Put Local on your 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.
Dawn Crayco
Visiting Associate Food Systems Educator
(860) 402-8867
Dawn.crayco@uconn.edu
Dawn brings a background in nutrition and public health focused on child nutrition programs and farm to school. She has worked with state and national organizations on programming and policies that grow and strengthen food systems. Contact Dawn to learn more about UConn Extension’s work on farm to school and how to tap into the growing movement.
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, to be added to the Put Local on your Tray Farm Directory, or to join CTFarmtoSchoolMarketplace-Listserv: a place for school food service directors and growers to connect. Shannon can help Food Service Directors better understand the needs of growers, and she is available to help connect farmers to schools and schools to farmers.
Abby DuBois
Farm to School Technical Assistant
abigail.dubois@uconn.edu
AnaAlicia Cruz
AnaAlicia Cruz
South Central Region
AnaAlicia.Cruz@uconn.edu
AnaAlicia Cruz will be assisting districts with their Farm to School activities in the South Central region. In addition to her role as a Regional Farm to School Coordinator, AnaAlicia is the Founder and Executive Director of Nourish My Soul, a nonprofit that serves as a model for youth leadership & equitable food systems. AnaAlicia uses her education in both Nutrition and Sustainable Agriculture to empower and excite young people to grow, prepare, and share healthy foods.
Becky Fahey
Becky Fahey
Southeast Region
Rebecca.Fahey@uconn.edu
Becky Fahey will be assisting districts with their Farm to School activities in the Southeast region. Becky (she/her) is a certified early childhood teacher with an MA in Education and 20 years of environmental and agricultural education experience. She has worked as a farmer, farm education coordinator, farm-to-table culinary instructor, and educational coach. Passionate about local food and food access, she is eager to support professionals in connecting children with sustainable food systems.
Kimberly Hughes
Kimberly Hughes
Northwest Region
Kimberly.Hughes@uconn.edu
Kim Hughes will be assisting districts with their Farm to School activities in the Northwest region. As an environmental educator for over 10 years, I have worked to ensure every child in my community has access to meaningful and inclusive outdoor learning experiences. Understanding our food and where it comes from has always been a great place to start as it reminds us of our deep connection to each other, the land and the world around us. It is a privilege to do this work of bringing Farm to School programs to every school and every student in Connecticut.
Brenna “B” Regan
Brenna "B" Regan
Southwest Region
Brenna.Regan@uconn.edu
B is feeling rooted in gratitude as they take on the role of Southwest Regional Coordinator for UConn Extension! Born and raised in Southwest CT, B brings with them over a decade of experience working on organic farms in places including Colorado, Connecticut/Quinnetukqut, Nicaragua, and Ireland. B has also been a teaching assistant, substitute teacher and most recently a paraeducator and is excited to interweave those experiences into the RC role. B is committed to approaching the RC responsibilities from a framework of equity, food justice and in solidarity with all liberatory social movements. When not working, B may be found adventuring with loved ones, learning a new skill or studying for their certificate in Clinical Herbalism.
Alyssa Jones
Alyssa Jones
Northeast Region
Alyssa.m.Jones@uconn.edu
Alyssa Jones (she/her), is the Farm to School Regional Coordinator for the Northeast+. Growing up in Ellington and now calling Manchester home, she's thrilled to be working in a region that has given her so much over the years. Before joining the UConn Extension team, she spent eight years as a nutrition and environmental educator with a variety of Hartford-area nonprofits. Alyssa is a graduate of the University of Vermont (2016) with a degree in Environmental Science—focusing on Agriculture & the Environment—and a minor in Community & International Development. She believes wholeheartedly that equitable access to good food and meaningful community experiences helps create healthier, more connected neighborhoods.
When she's not at work, you’ll find her chasing after her 9-month-old, experimenting with new recipes, or at the driving range—where she's attempting to teach herself golf.