There has never been a better time to buy local! The Tray Team is here to support you in utilizing micro-purchase thresholds, geographic preference, seasonal recipes and building relationships with CT farms.
Tray can help you:
- Source CT Grown food from local farms
- Serve a local food taste test in your cafeteria
- Celebrate local food with communications support, outreach materials, and educational Seasonal Campaigns
- Maximize your Local Food for Schools Incentive Program dollars to bring CT Grown to your cafeteria
Reach out to Abby at abigail.dubois@uconn.edu to get started.
Funding Opportunities
The Local Food For Schools Incentive Program (LFSIP) provides money to increase schools’ purchases of local and regional foods from socially disadvantaged farmers, producers, and small businesses. We can answer questions about utilizing micro-purchase threshold, geographic preference, access to information on local farms, and facilitate relationship development.
Register for 1:1 technical assistance
Tray Resources
- Conversation Guide for Farmers and School Buyers - This is a Q&A resource to support conversations between Food Service Directors and Farmers
- Information on the 'Local Food for School Incentive Program- With Funding through AMS-USDA the CT Department of Education will be dispersing $1.8 million dollars to districts for SY2023/24. This funding is for LOCAL PURCHASING only. Learn more here!
- Talk to the Farmer About Food Safety
- FAQ on Local Food Incentive program - all lined out here!
- Put Local On Your Tray Monthly Newsletter - Sign up for updates on new resources and materials, tools, programming, and partner updates
- What’s Growing in CT? - Downloadable PDF calendar for Eating Seasonally in K-12 Schools
USDA Resources
- Farm to School Planning Toolkit - Check out this comprehensive ToolKit that covers a range of Farm to School topics
- Farm to School Fact Sheets - Fact Sheets on everything from Food Safety to hosting Field Trips
- USDA DoD Fresh Program: A Source for Locally Grown Produce - DOD and Local Procurement
- Local Procurement decision Tree - How will you bring Local into your purchasing?
- Geographic Preference - Geographic preference and how to use it!
National Farm to School Resources
- Webinar Archive: Advancing Equity Through Farm to School - WATCH farm to school practitioners share their successes and challenges with advancing equity through farm to school
- Benefits of Farm to School - Research-based fact sheet
- Getting Started with Farm to School - Simple first steps to start your farm to school program!
Other Great Partner Resources
- Connecticut Farm-to-School Program - CSDE Resource
- Tips for Buying from Local Farmers & Producers - Vermont FEED resource