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Resources and guidance for the Farm to School Compass

Overview of the CT Fresh Ed Compass

This tool is designed to guide your LEA's Farm to School journey and help identify opportunities to strengthen fresh, local connections within your school community.

The Compass is organized into three sections: Procurement, Spending, and Best Practices and Needs Assessment.

  • Most questions in the Procurement and Spending sections can be answered by the food service director.
  • The Best Practices and Needs Assessment section covers a wider range of topics including cafeteria operations, classroom activities, school gardens, and community engagement. This section may require input from additional staff beyond the food service director. Please review the preview questions and collaborate with the appropriate team members as needed.

Below, you'll find the information to gather before starting. Completing the Compass should take approximately 60 minutes.

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Connecticut Farm to School

Getting Ready

We recommend reading through the questions using the “Preview Questions” button to help you identify which documents you need to complete this Compass.

Preview Questions

For all LEAs:

Follow these steps to get started with the CT Fresh Ed Compass:

  1. Log in to get started
    Click on the "Log in" button to access the assessment platform.
  2. Create an account
    Create an account using your email and password if you don't already have one.
  3. Navigate to My Logbook
    This will direct you to "My Logbook," where you can locate your Compass by clicking on the "Locate your Compass" button.
  4. Select your location and sponsor
    You will see a screen where you will select the county where your LEA is located and sponsor name.
  5. Enter your passcode
    Your passcode to access your Compass is the same as your sponsor ID.
  6. Begin your assessment
    Once you submit your information, you can click the "Begin Compass" button or resume a previously created Compass.

For LEAs with interschool agreement:

Follow these steps to get started with the CT Fresh Ed Compass:

  1. Log in to get started
    Click on the "Log in" button to access the assessment platform.
  2. Create an account
    Create an account using your email and password if you don't already have one.
  3. Navigate to My Logbook
    This will direct you to "My Logbook," where you can locate your Compass by clicking on the "Locate your Compass" button.
  4. Select your location, sponsor, and LEA
    You will see a screen where you will select the county where your LEA is located and sponsor name. If you have an interschool agreement, you will also have the option to select your specific LEA.
  5. Enter your passcode
    Your passcode to access your Compass will be provided by CSDE.
  6. Begin your assessment
    Once you submit your information, you can click the "Begin Compass" button or resume a previously created Compass.

Here is a list of staff members that are recommended to respond and documents that you may need to gather to complete the Compass.

Section 1: Procurement
Section 2: Spending		 Section 3: Best Practices & Needs Assessment
Cafeteria Classroom Community Coordination
Recommended
Respondent
  • Food Service Director
  • Procurement Manager
  • Procurement Specialist
  • Business Official
  • Food Service Director
  • Cafeteria Manager
  • Menu Planner
  • Curriculum Director
  • School Principal
  • Assistant Superintendent
  • Head of Health and Nutrition Education
  • Food Service Director
  • Family Engagement Coordinator
  • Family Liaison
  • School Nurse
  • Parent-Teacher Organization
  • School Principal
  • Food Service Director
  • Farm to School Coordinator
  • Family Engagement Coordinator
  • School Nurse
  • Parent-Teacher Organization
  • School Principal
  • Food Service Director
Recommended
Documentation
  • Menu cycles
  • Production records
  • Nonprofit School Food Service Account (NSFSA) General Ledger
  • NSFSA Financial Reports
  • NSFSA Profit and Loss statement
  • Invoices
  • Wellness policy
  • Copies of curriculum
  • Wellness Committee minutes
  • Additional references (e.g., Put Local on Your Tray)
  • The CT Farm to School Institute

We recommend using the Staff Engagement Guide, together with the Best Practices and Needs Assessment preview questions, to encourage staff across your LEA to collaborate on the Compass.

Staff Engagement Guide Preview questions - Best Practices and Needs Assessment

These are definitions for keywords used throughout the Compass.

Term Definition
Minimally Processed Food Minimally processed foods have been slightly altered so they can be more easily stored, prepared, and eaten; this processing level does not substantially change the nutritional content of the food, and the food is still recognizable in its shape or contents. It includes sliced apples, frozen blueberries, shredded cabbage, marinara sauce and apple cider, for example.
Local (CT Only)
Connecticut Sourcing Map
"Locally sourced food" means produce and other farm products that have a traceable point of origin within Connecticut that are grown or produced at, or sold by, a local farm and includes, but is not limited to, value-added dairy, fish, pork, beef, poultry, eggs, fruits, vegetables and minimally processed foods.
Regional (Not CT; NY, MA, RI, VT, NH, ME)
Regional Sourcing Map
"Regionally sourced food" means produce and other farm products that have a traceable point of origin within New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire or Maine that are grown or produced at, or sold by, a regional farm and includes, but is not limited to, value-added dairy, fish, pork, beef, poultry, eggs, fruits, vegetables and minimally processed foods.
Traceable point of origin A documentation that identifies the origin of the product, including the name and town of the farm that grew/produced it.
Local Educational Agency (LEA) Is a public board of education or other public authority legally constituted within a state for direction of public elementary or secondary schools of a school district or other political subdivision.