CT Awards $1.5M To Help Agencies Buy Locally Grown Food

by Donald Eng

PORTLAND, CT — A dozen food pantries, community health centers and nonprofit agencies are receiving $1.5 million in state grants to purchase locally grown food through the Connecticut Grown program.

The grants are being released through the Connecticut Department of Agriculture’s Local Food Purchase Assistance Grant Program. The program aims to increase access to locally grown, healthy food for those in need while simultaneously supporting the operations of Connecticut farmers and the state’s overall agricultural economy.

Speaking at River Ridge Farm and Market in Portland, Gov. Ned Lamont said every family should be able to access nutritious, locally grown food. The program has the added benefit of supporting local farmers, he said. It was previously supported by federal funds.

“This program was effective when it was supported by federal funding, and by releasing these state dollars we can help ensure that it continues to function and its mission can endure,” Lamont said.

Agriculture Commissioner Bryan Hurlburt said the program strengthened the link between state farmers and communities.

“By investing in expanded market access, we’re helping farms remain financially steady and creating room for new and beginning farmers to gain their footing,” he said. “These efforts broaden the reach of Connecticut Grown food, reinforce our agricultural economy, and carry forward the administration’s commitment to a resilient, growing farm sector.”

Eligible entities seeking grants under this funding round were required to submit applications to the Connecticut Department of Agriculture by March 11, 2026. The grants are estimated to benefit approximately 60,000 Connecticut residents with distribution partners located statewide.

The list of approved awardees under this round includes:

• St. Vincent de Paul Place Norwich, Inc. (Norwich) – $100,000: St. Vincent de Paul Place will provide Connecticut-grown food through its pantry and meal programs to thousands of individuals and families across southeastern Connecticut, including seniors, children, and households facing economic hardship.
• Northwest Connecticut Food Hub (Torrington) – $200,000: The Northwest Connecticut Food Hub will purchase food from local farms and distribute it to families across western Connecticut through schools, pantries, and community programs, supporting both farmers and residents in need.
• CitySeed, Inc. (New Haven) – $150,000: CitySeed will connect Connecticut farmers to food pantries and community partners across New Haven, expanding access to fresh, locally grown food for low-income residents through a coordinated citywide network.
• Living Word Ministries DBA Vertical Church (West Haven) – $100,000: Vertical Church will provide weekly boxes of Connecticut-grown produce to thousands of families through a network of food pantries in the Greater New Haven region, increasing access to fresh food during the growing season.
• Real Food CT, Inc. (Newtown) – $150,000: Real Food CT will purchase food from Connecticut farms and deliver it to food pantries and community organizations across Fairfield, New Haven, and Litchfield counties, serving low-income households and working families in need.
• Wheeler Health, Inc. (Plainville) – $100,000: Wheeler Health will distribute locally grown food through its health centers and mobile units to thousands of patients across Connecticut, supporting individuals and families managing chronic health conditions and limited access to nutritious food.
• Chrysalis Center Inc. (Hartford) – $60,000: Chrysalis Center will provide Connecticut-grown food through its Freshplace pantry to low-income individuals in Hartford, including those experiencing homelessness, reentry, and other barriers to stable access to healthy food.
• New London Community Meal Center, Inc. (New London) – $200,000: The New London Community Meal Center will expand access to locally grown food through its meal programs, market, and new wellness hub, serving low-income residents and seniors across southeastern Connecticut.
• The Thompson Ecumenical Empowerment Group, Inc. (North Grosvenordale) – $150,000: TEEG will provide locally grown produce and meats to low-income families in rural northeast Connecticut through its community market, serving households facing economic hardship and limited access to food.
• nOURish Bridgeport, Inc. (Bridgeport) – $120,000: nOURish Bridgeport will distribute Connecticut-grown food to thousands of residents each week through its pantry and partner network, serving families, children, and seniors experiencing food insecurity in one of the state’s highest-need cities.
• Brass City Harvest, Inc. (Waterbury) – $120,000: Brass City Harvest will source food from more than 20 Connecticut farms and distribute it through community partners across Waterbury, focusing on residents in food desert neighborhoods with limited access to fresh, affordable food.
• Daily Bread (Danbury) – $100,000: Daily Bread Food Pantry will purchase Connecticut-grown food to supply its large, grocery-style pantry serving over 1,000 families each week in the Danbury area, helping low-income households, seniors, and working families access fresh, healthy food with dignity.

For more information about the program, visit portal.ct.gov/doag/adarc/adarc/local-food-purchase-assistance-cooperative-agreement-program