By Ali Ghiorse
Rising food prices. Growing food insecurity. Supply contamination. Foodborne illness. Diet-related disease. Biodiversity loss. Water pollution. Climate change. These are just a few of the problems with the industrial food system. While these problems are interconnected and the solutions complex, there is broad agreement among food system advocates that localizing and regionalizing our food supply is a critical component.
Few initiatives embody this potential better than farm to school programs, which promote food education and help students access seasonal produce by shifting to local food procurement. Through these programs students deepen their connection to the food system by participating in activities such as stewarding the life cycle of a plant, from sowing seeds, harvesting, and composting; attending cooking demonstrations with chefs and exploring new tastes; creating artwork; and visiting Connecticut’s farms.
By enabling students to make informed choices and supporting farms, these initiatives cultivate a meaningful connection between food and community, strengthen Connecticut’s agricultural economy, public health, and food security. As families and educators have seen the positive impacts of these programs, more state and municipal governments are taking steps to help them grow. Connecticut invests millions of dollars in farm to school efforts statewide, expanding the CT Fresh Ed: Buy Local Program, which connects K–12 schools and local farms to serve healthy meals, improve student nutrition, offer agriculture and health education, and support local (and regional) farmers.
Here in Greenwich, New Lebanon School is an exemplary leader, fully integrating farm to school principles into its curriculum and school culture.
In June 2025, New Lebanon School convened a farm to school team to attend VT FEED’s three-day Northeast Farm to School Institute (NFTSI). The NFTSI approach connects the “Three Cs”—Classrooms, Cafeterias, and Communities in pursuit of a more resilient, accessible, and just food system. Through hands-on learning, students connect the dots between where their food comes from, how food choices impact their bodies, and the role of their farming community. During this immersive, professional learning experience, New Lebanon School’s farm to school team crafted its overarching action plan: Harvest of the Season. The program launched last fall and became the first official farm to school program in Greenwich Public Schools. Each season, through the lens of a single fruit or vegetable, students engage in hands-on learning experiences. The highlight of the program, New Lebanon’s school garden, offers students inspiration and the chance to learn practical knowledge around growing food.
The garden has long been a labor of love for Byram. On the site of New Lebanon’s previous campus (demolished in 2019 to make way for the new building), local chef Geoff Lazlo designed and maintained a garden while leading math, science, and gardening activities with students. A generous 2018 Greenwich Alliance for Education Reaching Out Grant allowed the garden to expand from a few small flowerbeds into a fully functioning vegetable and flower garden behind the current school building. Since spring 2024, the PTA has operated an after school garden club for grades K–5.
In 2025, when the Greenwich Foodshed Alliance, a program of The Foodshed Network, sought to implement a farm to school initiative in Greenwich, New Lebanon School caught our attention. Its long-standing commitment to its garden, waste management, and equitable school lunch access made for the perfect partnership.
New Lebanon School’s stewardship of the program models best practices for other Greenwich schools. With support from another grant from the Greenwich Alliance for Education, Principal Dr. Daniel Russo and members of his team hosted its first on-site professional development retreat in mid-August. More than twelve educators chose to attend the retreat to deepen their skills and awareness and prepare Harvest of the Season for its second year.
Teaching students how to grow, cook, and value nourishing food empowers the next generation of leaders to make informed decisions and equips them with essential life skills. Greenwich is fortunate to have New Lebanon School pioneering this work, and we hope it will support other schools in adopting their own programs, holding the promise for a thriving future for both people and the planet.
Ali Ghiorse co-leads the Greenwich Foodshed Alliance, a program of The Foodshed Network, which serves as a supporting community partner for Farm to School programs.