Dear friend, It's August, the height of summer - a time to move slowly and make space to daydream, and envision what brings us inspiration and joy. My sister Sarah died in March, and sometimes it helps me to look back and read something she wrote or said. When considering what to say in this preamble, I referenced remarks Sarah made to the Solidaire Network around this time last summer. In her welcome to friends and colleagues in the high desert of Santa Fe, New Mexico, she said, “ This moment is calling for our collective imagination.” Sarah often called on us to envision new possibilities, especially when she felt communities had lost their way and needed clear direction on how to cultivate a gentler and more just society. We have the power to be changemakers. As the industrial food system continues to cause harm, through food-borne illness, unprecedented food insecurity, and corporate consolidation that hollows out rural communities, this moment calls for our collective imagination to transform our system into one that works for everyone. Foodshed Thymes brings together the people, stories, and ideas helping us envision a better way forward. Thank you for reading and for making our work possible. If you have any feedback or ideas for us, please reach out to me directly at ali@thefoodshednetwork.org. In community, Ali Ghiorse Executive Director |
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The recent Cyclospora outbreak, the largest in American history, is bringing new awareness to how most pre-washed and prepped lettuce is grown, processed, and transported. We are learning that the conditions behind this outbreak range from the insidiousness of the parasite itself to gaps in regulatory oversight. ( The Daily did a great job breaking down the factors surrounding this outbreak; learn more here.) While Cyclospora can affect farms of any size, contamination risks are significantly lower on small to mid-sized regional farms. Growing directly for local communities builds trust, transparency, and a stronger commitment to safe farming practices. Learn more about the benefits of buying local in Connecting the Dots blog post here. |
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Panelists: Localizing Food in Connecticut |
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Foodshed Forum Fairfield County (FFFC) Please join Foodshed Forum Fairfield County and the Northwest CT Food Hub for Localizing Food in Connecticut: How We Grow, Share, and Sustain Local Agriculture. This panel discussion takes place on Wednesday, September 2nd from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. at North Greenwich Congregational Church. Attendance is free, but registration is required. Opening remarks will be delivered by Bryan Hurlburt, Connecticut's Commissioner of Agriculture, followed by a panel discussion moderated by Ali Ghiorse, Executive Director of The Foodshed Network. Panelists include: - Christian Duborg: CT Food & Nutrition Policy Analyst at CWCSEO
- Renee Giroux: Executive Director at Northwest CT Food Hub & Owner of Earth’s Palate Farm
- Bryan Hurlburt: CT Department of Agriculture Commissioner
- Shawn Joseph: Operations Director at Brass City Harvest & Owner of Park City Harvest
- Lutonya Russell-Humes: Vice President of Grants & Programs at Fairfield County’s Community Foundation
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Did you know you can donate Foodshed CSA boxes directly to a food assistance organization? |
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Foodshed CSA Greenwich Through the Foodshed CSA, subscribers can donate a box of fresh, locally grown produce to a Greenwich food assistance program, such as Neighbor to Neighbor. Our subscribers are loving their shares! Thanks to their generosity, plus support from the Fairfield County’s Community Foundation Food Security Fund, we've donated many pounds of fresh produce to our local food pantry: including leafy greens, turnips, radishes, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, squash, rhubarb, peaches, and blueberries. Access to locally grown food remains limited for Greenwich’s food-insecure residents.* Unless SNAP recipients can shop at a participating farmers' market or a grocery store carrying local produce, they rely on personal gardens or local community programs during the summer growing season. Community-based organizations helping fill this gap include Greenwich Community Gardens' Neighborly Harvest program, Greenwich Land Trust's Youth Corps program, and Food Rescue US-Fairfield County's Sprout & Share program and Community Garden at Harvest Time Church. Foodshed CSA is proud to be the newest summer produce donation program, and we are grateful to our subscribers for making our contributions possible. *Low-income seniors have access to local farmers' markets through the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program; see details below.
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4-Week SEPT. (August 25th - Sept. 15th) | Subscription window closes August 21st. 13-Week FALL (Sept. 1st - Nov. 24th) | Subscription window closes August 28th. |
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Greenwich Foodshed Alliance (GFA) GFA's community partnerships continue to grow and thrive! Access & Equity: The summer growing season is in full swing, and so is the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program. Once enrolled, seniors receive an educational packet detailing market locations, healthy recipes, program guidelines, card usage instructions, transportation support, and participating farmers. Daniela Valdovinos, Volunteer Coordinator of Older Adult Services at Jewish Family Services of Greenwich, checks in with participants throughout the season to gather feedback. So far, 23 seniors are using the program, with about half having already spent their full monthly balance. Many note that they would not visit the markets otherwise. By carpooling with neighbors to both the Old Greenwich and Greenwich markets, they have turned these trips into a fun weekly outing. ----------------------------- Farm to School: In mid-August, New Lebanon School's Farm to School Team hosted its first on-site professional development retreat for teachers and administrators, with more than twelve educators voluntarily attending to expand their knowledge. Led by Dr. Daniel Russo (Principal of New Lebanon School) and facilitated by Jen Cirillo (Director of Professional Learning at Shelburne Farms) and Jen Rothman (Executive Director at Yellow Farmhouse), the two-day retreat explored the role of food systems education and highlighted how Farm to School initiatives drive systemic change. Key focus areas included: - Farm to School classroom curriculum planning
- Featured vegetables for the 2026–2027 Harvest of the Month
- Strategies to deepen and expand initiatives in year two
- Defining student goals around knowledge, empathy, and action to foster healthy, equitable food systems
A retreat highlight was gathering in the garden to share a seasonal meal with food Kalenauskas Farm & Market and Smith's Acres. New Lebanon School extends a heartfelt thank you to the Greenwich Alliance for Education for making this retreat possible through its Reaching Out Grant. ----------------------------- Community of Practice: The July GFA CoP welcomed B Regan, (Southwest CT Regional Farm to School Coordinator), and Martha Ramkellawan, (GPS Food Service Director). They joined us to discuss their collaboration and share the results of the CT Fresh Ed Compass Snapshot for Greenwich Public Schools, which show that GPS is well on its way to expanding and strengthening its district-wide farm to school initiative. We extend a special thank you to elected officials Selectwoman Rachel Khanna, Representative Steve Meskers, and Representative Hector Arzeno for joining us and sharing their insights. We are also grateful to B Regan for providing broader context on Connecticut's farm to school efforts, and to Martha Ramkellawan for her continued collaboration. Finally, we want to recognize and celebrate Waste Free Greenwich for their years of dedication to implementing waste-management systems in Greenwich Public Schools. The CT Fresh Ed Compass is a Farm to School readiness and growth tool developed by the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) in partnership with the University of Connecticut. The Compass captures important elements of Farm to School operations according to each local educational agency (LEA). The CSDE and the Regional Farm to School Coordinators will use the Compass Snapshot to develop or inform action plans with each LEA to integrate Farm to School practices into their district or school initiatives, food service operations, or programming. (New Lebanon's Farm to School initiative is a school-specific program. Their distinct work intersects with the Compass Snapshot tool, with more rigorous goals and intended outcomes. Additional context will be provided in our upcoming meeting.) |
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In July, The Foodshed Network celebrated its one-year anniversary as a fiscally sponsored project of Third Sector New England, Inc. (TSNE). Partnering with TSNE for fiscal sponsorship has been incredibly beneficial. While TSNE does not provide direct funding, they offer exceptional operational services, including grant and financial management, human resources, accounting, legal and contract support, and strategic thought partnership, for a reasonable fee. If your organization is interested in exploring fiscal sponsorship, please reach out; we are happy to share our experience! |
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This summer, Foodshed was delighted to deepen our engagement with two exciting local initiatives. In early August, we attended A Celebration of Black Philanthropy in honor of The SOUL Fund at Fairfield County's Community Foundation, a giving circle dedicated to uplifting Black leadership and opportunity. The SOUL Fund is a new giving circle that directs grant funding to nonprofits creating positive change with and for Fairfield County's Black community. Membership requires a minimum annual donation of $365 (payable in recurring installments). Running from July 1 through June 30, membership entitles individuals to one vote at SOUL Fund events to help select grant recipients. Over 100 members have already joined this inclusive circle, which is open to anyone passionate about community impact. ----------------------------- We also recently met with Sarah Miller, Executive Director of CitySeed, one of Connecticut's leading food justice organizations, to tour their impressive new facility, slated to be the future home of Greater New Haven’s Food Business Incubator and Resource Center. Building on years of community partnership, CitySeed is transforming an 18,786-square-foot former factory into a vibrant culinary hub. Located in New Haven’s Fair Haven neighborhood and Mill River District, the facility will house: - A home for Sanctuary Kitchen
- Co-working office space and community gathering areas
- Shared commercial kitchens and a dedicated teaching kitchen
- Cold and dry storage infrastructure for local food collection and distribution
Designed as an economic catalyst focused on field-to-shelf food systems, the hub will host food production, farm product aggregation, farmers' market preparation, culinary workforce training, and programs supporting public health and economic mobility. |
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DONATE, SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW |
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Unlock The Match Fundraising Campaign THANK YOU to everyone who has contributed to TFN's Unlock The Match Fundraising Campaign. Your generosity makes our work possible. |
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The Foodshed Network (TFN) is a fiscally sponsored project of Third Sector New England, Inc. (TSNE), which provides back-office administrative support that allows TFN to focus on its programming and achieve its mission. |
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194 Putnam Park
Greenwich , CT 06830, USA |
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