Planting the Seeds for Change
The ability to think outside the box is a requisite tool for problem solving. Seeking new ideas and introducing new programs that will benefit Rocky Hill on multiple levels will be a necessary action for our new Town Council. Farm-to-School Programs are a perfect example of the State's ability to move beyond traditional thinking and embrace green initiatives that benefit entire communities. And if that's not enough, Farm-to-School provides hands-on, invaluable lessons to children from kindergarteners to high school seniors. It's an initiative we ought to be looking at.Farm-to-School operates statewide and is premised upon achieving two goals:
(1) to develop new markets for local farms; and, (2) to offer fresher, local produce to school cafeterias. However, the benefits don't stop there. Preserving agriculture and farming businesses are important steps to becoming a sustainable community. About 70 Farm-to-School programs already exist in Connecticut today, the direct result of addressing poor nutritional choices among other things. Programs exist in all sizes suited to accommodate the communities they serve. Consider the positive impact of such a program in Rocky Hill:
- Encourages collaboration between local farms and the town
- Provides incentives for farmers to utilize their land for the purpose of farming
- Reduces the amount of local soil erosion
- Teaches the importance of sustainable living at a community-wide level
- Helps tame the effects of global warming
- Reduces the amount of unacceptable food choices for our students while offering fresher farm to table fruits, veggies & more
- Instills within our children the value of farming through hands-on involvement and experimentation
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