Sen. Gordon Applauds State Investment in Children’s Agriculture Programs in Tolland & Vernon

State Sen. Jeff Gordon (R-Woodstock) today applauded the Connecticut Department of Agriculture’s (CT DoAg) Connecticut Grown for Connecticut Kids Grant awards to children’s agriculture programs in Tolland and Vernon:

• Tolland: Miss Merry Mac’s Educational Daycare has been awarded $4,765 to create a garden center with raised garden beds where children can learn about gardening and grow vegetables. They plan to take a field trip to a local farm, learn about machinery, and talk to a farmer. They will purchase a CSI share from a local farm to taste-test fresh fruits and vegetables and will create awareness of where food comes from and how it is grown.

• Vernon: Vernon Public Schools has been awarded a $4,887 microgrant for its Gardens and Pollinators Project, which provides Skinner Road School with three experimental learning opportunities that promote agriculture and food literacy to their students. The project re-establishes the school’s Garden Club and existing school greenhouse, and will also create two additional gardens. They also plan to hold a school-wide salad party that celebrates the student grown produce and teaches students how pollinators contribute to our food systems.

“Thank you to the State of Connecticut and Department of Agriculture Commissioner Hurlburt for this investment in support of and expanding the future of agriculture in northeast Connecticut. Involving young people early on will expose them to the food creation process, healthy eating habits, and potentially a career path in agriculture. Agriculture is a vital part of our communities and of Connecticut’s economy. Investments like this help to ensure the sustainability and outreach of local agriculture for generations to come,” said Sen. Gordon.

The highly competitive grant program is designed to increase the availability of local foods in child nutrition programs, allow educators to use hands-on educational techniques to teach students about nutrition and farm-to-school connections, build relationships with local farmers and producers, and help children build healthy habits from a young age. This year, CT DoAg awarded a total $2.8 million to 53 farm-to-school based projects, including the Tolland and Vernon projects.

To learn more about the CTG4CTK Grant, including success stories from previous recipients, please visit: https://portal.ct.gov/DOAG/ADaRC/ADaRC/Grants/CT-Grown-for-CT-Kids-Grant/Success-Stories.