East Hartford Public Schools proudly celebrated CT Grown for CT Kids Week and hosted a special kick off event at Goodwin Elementary School.
On October 2, EHPS welcomed the CT Department of Agriculture, town and state leaders, and other partner organizations to an event recognizing the importance of our Farm to School work.
The event began with kindergarten and first grade students taste testing yogurt from Hastings Farm in Suffield, CT and apples from Blue Hills Orchard in Wallingford, CT. After trying the foods, students did a quick survey to report if they loved the food, liked the food or tried the food. They also had the opportunity to meet with farmers from the Handel Family Farm in East Hartford, who have been key partners in our Farm to School programming.
After lunch, guests gathered in Goodwin’s Community Garden for a tour and to hear from speakers on the importance of local agriculture and how it supports our schools and students. Speakers included Agriculture Commissioner Bryan P. Hurlburt, East Hartford Public Schools Superintendent Thomas Anderson, East Hartford Public Schools Registered Dietician Carolyn Pancarowicz, State Department of Education Bureau Chief Shannon Yearwood, and CT Farm to School Collaborative member Joey Listro.
CT Grown for CT Kids Week is an annual event every October. It aims to celebrate and support local agriculture, public education and our community commitment to the importance of healthy nutritious meals in schools. Throughout the week, our school menus featured products from Connecticut farms including cheese and apple cider. The goal is to increase students understanding of local agriculture and where our food comes from.