Advancing Greenwich’s food security initiatives by strengthening & leveraging relationships, knowledge and networks |
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GFA May CoP, Initiative & Policy Updates |
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Wednesday, May 27, 2026 9:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. @ Greenwich Boys & Girls Club Following the Greenwich Boys & Girls Club (GB&GC) renovation, the facility now features a commercial kitchen and a dedicated Commercial Kitchen Coordinator, Lisette Carbajal. We look forward to learning more about Lisette’s exciting new role. Christian Duborg will present an outline for a comprehensive Strategy to End Food Insecurity in Connecticut. This strategy is designed to translate the Commission's report findings and recommendations into tangible action. The process leading up to this bold step requires extensive community input and consensus building. Christian is currently visiting municipalities throughout the state to engage food justice advocates for their input, ideas, and suggested approaches. He will join us in person on May 27th. We need your voice – please join us. Additionally, it is survey time! Consider participating in the 2026 State of Food Insecurity Community Voice Survey: English here and Spanish here. Please extend the survey out to your networks. |
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In March, New Lebanon Elementary School celebrated KALE DAY, its third 'Harvest of the Season'. This school-wide event was action packed! Students participated in a variety of hands-on activities, including:
- Creating kale art and making fresh pesto; - Tasting different varieties of kale; - Planting kale seeds and exploring various leafy greens; - Growing and thinning kale in a hydroponic tower; - Transplanting mature kale into the school garden. Tiana Santasiere, from Greenwich Botanical Center, led an indoor planting and garden bed preparation activity. The day was extra special as Farm to School statewide leaders joined in the fun, including Shannon Raider: UConn Extension Put Local on Your Tray; B Regan: UConn Extension Farm to School Coordinator for SW CT; Kirby Peters: Maple Bank Farm; Farmer Jim: CT Farm Direct; Renee Giroux: Northwest CT Food Hub & Earth’s Plate Farm. New Lebanon will celebrate STRAWBERRIES in June. Stay tuned! |
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Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program |
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Over the last several months, GFA’s Equity & Access Working Group convened to discuss the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program for the upcoming summer season. We explored various transportation options to help seniors travel to and from the market, as well as potential funding to increase the allotted dollar amount on each recipient's card. Special thanks to Geoffrey Anderson at Jewish Family Services for serving as Greenwich's sole issuance partner. We also want to thank our collaborators on this initiative: the Wallace Center, Greenwich United Way, Barbara's House, and the Department of Human Services. |
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Connecticut Food Security Policy School Meals & H.R. 1 |
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A Win for Universal No-Cost School Meals in CT The 2026 Connecticut legislative session officially ends on May 6th. We are excited to share that universal no-cost school breakfast and no-cost lunch for students eligible for reduced-price meals has been included in the budget negotiations and will become a reality once the governor signs the budget. We are asking everyone to reach out and thank our Representatives for prioritizing the health and well-being of Connecticut’s students. Call to Action We are asking everyone to reach out to our Representatives to thank them for their support and urge them to keep this initiative a top priority. SNAP Participation Trends According to the Food Research & Action Center, SNAP participation has declined by approximately 3.3 million people over the past year, with Connecticut seeing an 11% decrease. FRAC states, ‘This is neither a neutral correction nor evidence that fewer Americans need help affording food. Rather, it is the predictable outcome of deliberate policy choices advanced by H.R. 1. These choices systematically reduce access to the program, increase administrative burdens, and shift responsibility away from the federal government and onto states, localities, and families.’ For an excellent breakdown of these changes and their impact, please see the full report: A Deliberate Policy Design for Decline in SNAP Participation, and the Consequences We Are Already Seeing see here. |
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Federal Food Security Policy Farm Bill |
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Food system advocates, for the most part, denounce the U.S. House of Representative's approval of Chair G.T. Thompson's (R-PA) Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R. 7567) a.k.a. the 2026 Farm Bill. Learn more about the bill here. Below are resources from food security and small and medium-size farm advocates that provide essential context regarding the House-passed Farm Bill and its impacts. - Impact on food security: see here & here.
- Impact on small and medium-sized farms: see here.
- Impact on sustainable agriculture & environmental conservation: see here.
House-passed Farm Bill (a.k.a. Farm, Food, and National Security Act) moves to the Senate for consideration - where the Senate will either pass it and send it to the President's desk or produce its own version, requiring a conference committee to reconcile differences. |
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WE have the power to be food system changemakers. |
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Greenwich Foodshed Alliance is a program of The Foodshed Network, a fiscally sponsored project of Third Sector New England, Inc. (TSNE) |
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