The Connecticut Department of Agriculture and state and regional partners continue to work towards center of the plate items for the schools in our state. That means we are working to get items like ground beef, chicken, eggs, and other meats and cheeses that schools can use in their meals for our kids. 

What's Happening?

The University of CT has launched a new Cooperative Extension Meat Systems website. This is a technical site for beef producers, dairy farmers, and other interested parties. They are looking for content. Please contact  them with relevant information.

Recently, a Regional Dairy Beef Marketing Study was completed. Please feel free to read the Executive Summary  here.  The entire study, written by  Rose Wilson, business and marketing consultant based in Norwich, Vermont, is available for your reading pleasure! According to the study the researchers have identified two models, that may together begin to pave the road to increasing consumption of local beef in New England.       

Support Connecticut's local economy.  The 2015 listing  of local slaughterhouses, custom slaughterhouses and processing facilities .pdf  will help you find in-state services while helping to keep the Connecticut meat industry growing here. The  of Connecticut businesses who provide these services are just a click away!  Contact Joyce.Meader@uconn.edu for more info.

A small but mighty group of Northwestern CT beef and other meat producers met with several Northwest Connecticut private schools to start a small pilot project to sell beef to schools. for more information, contact Jennifer.McGuire@ct.gov  or Jean.King@uconn.edu to be connected to the UCONN initiated project.