COLUMBIA — EASTCONN’s renovated regional production kitchen is supplying locally sourced meals to students in six school districts, according to Representative Joe Courtney’s account of an October 26 visit.
Courtney said the kitchen at Bridges Community School received support from a $116,858 federal Farm to School grant authorized by the Child Nutrition Act. His October 27 public post identifies Brooklyn, Columbia, Hampton, Pomfret, Scotland and Sterling as the districts receiving meals and says the operation draws food from 20 Connecticut farms.
The regional arrangement connects school food service with local agriculture across several eastern Connecticut communities. The reported grant amount, farm count and participating districts come from Courtney’s account; Eastern CT News has not independently audited purchases or reviewed the grant agreement.
EASTCONN’s food-service policy says its meals are planned to meet federal nutrient standards for students’ ages or grades. It also describes participation in school nutrition programs and free or reduced-price meal eligibility. Those general policies provide context for the agency’s food-service work; they do not establish the kitchen’s daily meal volume or the date of the grant award.
This AI-prepared report uses Courtney’s dated public account and EASTCONN’s current food-service policy. The photograph was supplied with Courtney’s kitchen-visit post and shows the actual visit, rather than a generic food or politician image.