Training Opportunities

CT Grown for CT Kids - Technical Assistance

UConn Extension is partnering with the CT Department of Agriculture to provide a series of three school garden trainings, designed to be relevant for individuals new to school gardens as well as those with established school garden experience. Please email Abby DuBois with any questions, comments, or concerns. Funding for this project was paid for by the CT Grown for CT Kids Grant program. All funding is awarded and administered by the CT Department of Agriculture.

We recommend participants attend all three school garden trainings, as content and information will build with each session. You will be enrolled in the series and receive reminders and calendar invitations when you fill out the following form. EACH INDIVIDUAL ATTENDEE SHOULD FILL OUT THIS FORM.

Trainings will be recorded and provided to registrants after each session.

Training 1

Starting to Grow: Building the Garden and Creating a Crop Plan 
April 27, 2026, 3:30 pm - 4:45 pm, Virtual Teams meeting

Training 2

Putting Down Roots: Maintaining the Garden and Developing a Work Plan
June 1, 2026, 3:30 pm - 4:45 pm, Virtual Teams meeting

Training 3

The Harvest: Sustaining the Garden and Enjoying Its Benefits
Fall 2026 (Date TBD), 3:30 pm - 4:45 pm, Virtual Teams meeting

Register for the School Garden Training Series

Past Training Archives

For meeting recording and resources, reach out to abigail.dubois@uconn.edu

  • Food Safety Plan with UConn Extension
    • Develop your food safety plan and write a Standard Operating procedure.
  • Farm to School in the Classroom
    • Resources to teach farm to school through nutrition, science, etc... and meeting curriculum standards.
  • Culinary Training and Knife Skills
    • Learn knife skills and culinary tools for scratch cooking local foods, gain knowledge to take back to your school food staff.
  • Culturally Appropriate Culinary Training
    • Explore seasonal ingredients and discover ways to adapt recipes that reflect various culinary traditions.
  • Programming in the Garden
    • Meet the Farm to School program in Cheshire, and experience a greenhouse to classroom process in action.
  • Best practices for Farm to ECE
    • A seed to plate demonstration, take home seedlings for your garden!
  • Building a Farm to School Program for the Future
    • Discover ways to increase the longevity of your program: developing a Vision Statement, creating an Action Plan, and building a Farm to School Team.
  • Farm Early Care Resource Fair
    • Learn about food and nutrition activities, garden support, seedlings, and seeds, compost lessons and more!