Jessi Ruotolo

Join Us in the Garden! 🌱 Volunteer with RFCT This Spring!

At RFCT, every seed we plant and every harvest we gather helps bring fresh, locally grown produce to those who need it most—and we couldn’t do it without volunteers like you! We’re excited to announce our spring volunteer hours as we begin planting key crops like carrots, potatoes, onions, and lettuces across our two Newtown farm sites: 🌾 Volunteer …

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Part Two: From Federal Cuts to Local Solutions

How the Loss of LFPA Funding Impacts Our Food System — And What We Can Do Next In early 2024, the USDA announced it would not be renewing funding for the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program beyond its current cycle. For many farms, food hubs, and food access organizations across the country, this isn’t …

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📊 Part One: The State of Food Insecurity in Connecticut: What the Numbers Tell Us

As Real Food CT works to connect fresh, locally grown produce with food-insecure communities across our state, we know we are only one part of a much larger—and growing—challenge. Recent reports confirm what we see on the ground every day: food insecurity is widespread, and rising costs continue to push more families into crisis. 🧾 …

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What is Gleaning? Learn More About Our Essential Service

Gleaning: A Time-Honored Tradition, A Modern Solution to Food Waste For centuries, gleaning has been a practice deeply rooted in agricultural communities. Traditionally, it involved gathering leftover crops from fields after the harvest, ensuring that nothing went to waste. This time-honored tradition continues to hold immense significance today, offering a powerful solution to food waste …

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