Farm to School Compass
Assessment Question Preview
Connecticut Department of Education
Farm to School Program
This document contains a complete preview of all assessment questions across all sections:
- Local and Regional Procurement
- Spending
- Cafeteria & Procurement
- Community
- Classroom (Elementary, Middle, High School)
- Coordination
Farm to School Compass - Question Preview
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Local and Regional Procurement
We are now going to ask you questions about how frequently you serve local foods in your meal programs. Recommended respondent: school food service director/menu planner/procurement specialist.
Which USDA Child Nutrition programs did your LEA participate in during the 2024-25 school year and the summer of 2025?
Please choose all that apply.
NSLP, SBP, or FFVP in 2024-2025
Think about your LEA's 2024-2025 federally funded meals and snacks through the NSLP, SBP, or FFVP for this question. How frequently did you serve at least one Connecticut sourced food item from the categories below (estimates can be used)?
Connecticut sourced NSLP, SBP, or FFVP in 2024-2025: Connecticut sourced 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.
| Daily | Weekly | Monthly | Rarely | Never | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit | |||||
| Vegetables | |||||
| Herbs | |||||
| Fluid Milk | |||||
| Yogurt and other dairy (not milk) | |||||
| Cheese, including cottage cheese | |||||
| Meat/Poultry | |||||
| Eggs | |||||
| Seafood | |||||
| Plant-based protein items (e.g. beans, seeds, soy) | |||||
| Flour or Other Grains (e.g., cornmeal, rice) | |||||
| Maple Syrup or Honey | |||||
| Other | |||||
Think about your LEA's 2024-2025 federally funded meals and snacks through the NSLP, SBP, or FFVP for this question. How frequently did you serve at least one REGIONALLY (not including Connecticut) sourced food item from the categories below (estimates can be used)?
Regionally sourced NSLP, SBP, or FFVP in 2024-2025: Regionally sourced 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.
| Daily | Weekly | Monthly | Rarely | Never | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit | |||||
| Vegetables | |||||
| Herbs | |||||
| Fluid Milk | |||||
| Yogurt and other dairy (not milk) | |||||
| Cheese, including cottage cheese | |||||
| Meat/Poultry | |||||
| Eggs | |||||
| Seafood | |||||
| Plant-based protein items (e.g. beans, seeds, soy) | |||||
| Flour or Other Grains (e.g., cornmeal, rice) | |||||
| Maple Syrup or Honey | |||||
| Other | |||||
CACFP in 2024-2025
Think about your LEA's 2024-2025 federally funded meals and snacks through the Child and Adult Care Food Program At-Risk Afterschool for this question. How frequently did you serve at least one Connecticut sourced food item from the categories below (estimates can be used)?
Connecticut sourced CACFP in 2024-2025: Connecticut sourced 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.
| Daily | Weekly | Monthly | Rarely | Never | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit | |||||
| Vegetables | |||||
| Herbs | |||||
| Fluid Milk | |||||
| Yogurt and other dairy (not milk) | |||||
| Cheese, including cottage cheese | |||||
| Meat/Poultry | |||||
| Eggs | |||||
| Seafood | |||||
| Plant-based protein items (e.g. beans, seeds, soy) | |||||
| Flour or Other Grains (e.g., cornmeal, rice) | |||||
| Maple Syrup or Honey | |||||
| Other | |||||
Think about your LEA's 2024-2025 federally funded meals and snacks through the Child and Adult Care Food Program At-Risk Afterschool for this question. How frequently did you serve at least one REGIONALLY (not including Connecticut) sourced food item from the categories below (estimates can be used)?
Regionally sourced CACFP in 2024-2025: Regionally sourced 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.
| Daily | Weekly | Monthly | Rarely | Never | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit | |||||
| Vegetables | |||||
| Herbs | |||||
| Fluid Milk | |||||
| Yogurt and other dairy (not milk) | |||||
| Cheese, including cottage cheese | |||||
| Meat/Poultry | |||||
| Eggs | |||||
| Seafood | |||||
| Plant-based protein items (e.g. beans, seeds, soy) | |||||
| Flour or Other Grains (e.g., cornmeal, rice) | |||||
| Maple Syrup or Honey | |||||
| Other | |||||
Summer Programs
Think about your LEA's Summer 2025 federally funded meals and snacks through the Summer Meals Program for this question. How frequently did you serve at least one Connecticut sourced food item from the categories below (estimates can be used)?
Connecticut sourced Summer Programs in 2024-2025: Connecticut sourced 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.
| Daily | Weekly | Monthly | Rarely | Never | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit | |||||
| Vegetables | |||||
| Herbs | |||||
| Fluid Milk | |||||
| Yogurt and other dairy (not milk) | |||||
| Cheese, including cottage cheese | |||||
| Meat/Poultry | |||||
| Eggs | |||||
| Seafood | |||||
| Plant-based protein items (e.g. beans, seeds, soy) | |||||
| Flour or Other Grains (e.g., cornmeal, rice) | |||||
| Maple Syrup or Honey | |||||
| Other | |||||
Think about your LEA's 2024-2025 federally funded meals and snacks through the Summer Meals Program for this question. How frequently did you serve at least one REGIONALLY (not including Connecticut) sourced food item from the categories below (estimates can be used)?
Regionally sourced Summer Programs in 2024-2025: Regionally sourced 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.
| Daily | Weekly | Monthly | Rarely | Never | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit | |||||
| Vegetables | |||||
| Herbs | |||||
| Fluid Milk | |||||
| Yogurt and other dairy (not milk) | |||||
| Cheese, including cottage cheese | |||||
| Meat/Poultry | |||||
| Eggs | |||||
| Seafood | |||||
| Plant-based protein items (e.g. beans, seeds, soy) | |||||
| Flour or Other Grains (e.g., cornmeal, rice) | |||||
| Maple Syrup or Honey | |||||
| Other | |||||
Spending
This section asks about the amount of money your LEA spent on milk and minimally processed food (that you noted in the Local and Regional Procurement Section) from local and regional sources. This section does not refer to the vendor but rather where the product is grown/produced. Please provide this information for the 2024-2025 school year and the summer of 2025. Recommended respondent: school food service director/menu planner/procurement specialist.
Connecticut Sourced
Connecticut sourced 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.
Regionally Sourced
Regionally sourced 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.
How much money did your LEA spend on milk during (a) the 2024-2025 school year and (b) the summer of 2025?
| School Year Months 2024-2025 | Summer 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total spending on Connecticut sourced milk |
$
|
$
|
| Total spending on regionally sourced milk |
$
|
$
|
How much money did your LEA spend on all other food during (a) the 2024–2025 school year and (b) the summer of 2025?
| School Year Months 2024-2025 | Summer 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total spending on all other Connecticut sourced minimally processed food (not including milk) |
$
|
$
|
| Total spending on all other regionally sourced minimally processed food (not including milk) |
$
|
$
|
Cafeteria & Procurement
Best Practices and Needs Assessment
Best Practices and Needs Assessment
Farm to School activities take place in the cafeteria (e.g., procurement of local foods, taste tests);
classroom (e.g., school garden, incorporating Farm to School concepts into the curriculum); and
community (e.g., events to promote Farm to School activities with parents). The coordination of Farm to
School activities across these settings is important for overall success. Recommended respondent: school food
service director/menu planner/procurement specialist. Please answer these questions thinking about all schools in your district.
Please select the column that best describes your activities last year (2024-2025) and this year (2025-2026).
| (0) We are not doing this | (1) We are not doing this, but we are interested | (2) We have begun and are making progress | (3) We have done this in the past | (4) We are doing this! | N/A | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| We have identified farmers and/or food hubs/distributors where we can procure local food | ||||||
| We have purchased local food using state or federal incentives | ||||||
| We have purchased local food using our non-profit food service account | ||||||
| We have established pre-purchase (forward contract) and/or regular purchasing contracts with local farmers | ||||||
| We are scratch-cooking using local and regionally sourced ingredients (e.g., roasting fresh vegetables instead of frozen or canned options) | ||||||
| We procure local foods to be featured regularly on our menus | ||||||
| We serve local foods in a school salad bar | ||||||
| We serve local foods in pre-made salads | ||||||
| We procure local foods (of any type and in any form) for use in our schools outside of our federally funded meal and snack programs (e.g., in the classroom, sold a la carte, as fundraisers) | ||||||
| We procure local foods through the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program | ||||||
| Our Cafeteria organizes taste tests to incorporate local and regional foods into the menu | ||||||
| We serve local foods that are culturally relevant (i.e., foods that reflect the diversity of our students and families) | ||||||
| We use marketing strategies in the cafeteria to encourage student selection and consumption of local foods (e.g., name and location of farm; Harvest of the Month) | ||||||
| Our schools have a coordinated approach to connecting cafeteria taste tests to classroom learning | ||||||
| We train food service staff on how to prepare local foods | ||||||
| We've invested in infrastructure to sustain processing, cooking, and serving foods over the long term | ||||||
| We are prepared to build our infrastructure and provide professional development as our local food purchasing increases | ||||||
| We compost our food waste (using in-house methods or a composting service) | ||||||
| We evaluate the impact of our Farm to School operation (e.g., measuring changes in food waste, student acceptance of local items, and changes in participation rates) | ||||||
| We have performed a local food audit and know what percentage of food we currently serve is local or regional | ||||||
| We have a funding system in place that can sustain Farm to School activities over the long term | ||||||
| Other | ||||||
Which types of technical assistance would be helpful for your cafeteria? Please check all that apply.
Community
Best Practices and Needs Assessment
Best Practices and Needs Assessment
Farm to School activities take place in the cafeteria (e.g., procurement of local foods, taste tests);
classroom (e.g., school garden, incorporating Farm to School concepts into the curriculum); and
community (e.g., events to promote Farm to School activities with parents). The coordination of Farm to
School activities across these settings is important for overall success. Recommended respondent: school food
service director/menu planner/procurement specialist. Please answer these questions thinking about all schools in your district.
Please select the column that best describes your activities last year (2024-2025) and this year (2025-2026).
| (0) We are not doing this | (1) We are not doing this, but we are interested | (2) We have begun and are making progress | (3) We have done this in the past | (4) We are doing this! | N/A | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| We coordinate community meals inviting school and community members to share a meal featuring local ingredients | ||||||
| We partner with our school district's parent organizations (e.g., PTO, PTA) to promote Farm to School activities with families (e.g., inviting parents to lunch, marketing Farm to School, fundraising) | ||||||
| We partner with local community organizations to promote Farm to School activities with the broader community (e.g., corn shucking contests, farmers markets at schools) | ||||||
| We receive support from community organizations for Farm to School activities or events (e.g., presentations, volunteers, funds) | ||||||
| We host skill-building classes and workshops for the community (e.g., cooking, gardening, composting) | ||||||
| We generate media coverage for our Farm to School operations (e.g., local newspaper, social media) | ||||||
| We have long-term relationships with local farms, food producers, and businesses that provided nutrition-based experiences for students throughout the school year | ||||||
| Other | ||||||
Which types of technical assistance would be helpful for your community? Please check all that apply.
Classroom (Elementary School)
Best Practices and Needs Assessment
Best Practices and Needs Assessment
We recognize that LEAs may divide grades into schools in different ways.
For these questions, please answer the questions about “elementary schools” while thinking of students from kindergarten to grade 5; “middle schools” while thinking of students in grades 6 through 8; and “high schools” while thinking of students in grades 9 through 12.
For these questions, please answer the questions about “elementary schools” while thinking of students from kindergarten to grade 5; “middle schools” while thinking of students in grades 6 through 8; and “high schools” while thinking of students in grades 9 through 12.
Which grade levels does this school serve? Please check all that apply.
Please check only one response that best describes your LEA (Elementary School). Responses should reflect activities during the previous and current school year.
| (0) We are not doing this | (1) We are not doing this, but we are interested | (2) We have begun and are making progress | (3) We have done this in the past | (4) We are doing this! | N/A | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| We celebrate CT Grown for CT Kids Week in Early October | ||||||
| We celebrate National Farm to School Month (October) | ||||||
| We organize farm field trips for students | ||||||
| We host farmer visits to our cafeteria or classrooms | ||||||
| We organize unique pop-up farmer's markets or farm events in our schools | ||||||
| Our schools have edible school gardens (indoor or outdoor) | ||||||
| Our schools have implemented composting | ||||||
| Our schools have culinary programs | ||||||
| Our schools have cooking demos for kids and teachers, or young chef contests with Farm to School | ||||||
| We have a coordinated approach to providing students with experiences growing, harvesting, and cooking food | ||||||
| Our curriculum incorporates Farm to School concepts (e.g., literacy work using a garden or farm book, writing a prompt about a plant) | ||||||
| Our students learn about agriculture-related careers (e.g., through a class/curriculum or clubs like 4-H or Future Farmers of America) | ||||||
| Our students are involved in agricultural leadership programs (e.g., 4-H) | ||||||
| Our food services personnel partner with the Agriculture Science and Technology Education (ASTE) on farm-to-school operations | ||||||
| Our teachers have access to educational materials that allow them to find innovative ways teach Farm to School concepts | ||||||
| Our teachers have ongoing professional development opportunities to create and update Farm to School curricula | ||||||
| Other | ||||||
Which types of technical assistance would be helpful for your classrooms? Please check all that apply.
Classroom (Middle School)
Best Practices and Needs Assessment
Best Practices and Needs Assessment
We recognize that LEAs may divide grades into schools in different ways.
For these questions, please answer the questions about “elementary schools” while thinking of students from kindergarten to grade 5; “middle schools” while thinking of students in grades 6 through 8; and “high schools” while thinking of students in grades 9 through 12.
For these questions, please answer the questions about “elementary schools” while thinking of students from kindergarten to grade 5; “middle schools” while thinking of students in grades 6 through 8; and “high schools” while thinking of students in grades 9 through 12.
Which grade levels does this school serve? Please check all that apply.
Please check only one response that best describes your LEA (Middle School). Responses should reflect activities during the previous and current school year.
| (0) We are not doing this | (1) We are not doing this, but we are interested | (2) We have begun and are making progress | (3) We have done this in the past | (4) We are doing this! | N/A | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| We celebrate CT Grown for CT Kids Week in Early October | ||||||
| We celebrate National Farm to School Month (October) | ||||||
| We organize farm field trips for students | ||||||
| We host farmer visits to our cafeteria or classrooms | ||||||
| We organize unique pop-up farmer's markets or farm events in our schools | ||||||
| Our schools have edible school gardens (indoor or outdoor) | ||||||
| Our schools have implemented composting | ||||||
| Our schools have culinary programs | ||||||
| Our schools have cooking demos for kids and teachers, or young chef contests with Farm to School | ||||||
| We have a coordinated approach to providing students with experiences growing, harvesting, and cooking food | ||||||
| Our curriculum incorporates Farm to School concepts (e.g., literacy work using a garden or farm book, writing a prompt about a plant) | ||||||
| Our students learn about agriculture-related careers (e.g., through a class/curriculum or clubs like 4-H or Future Farmers of America) | ||||||
| Our students are involved in agricultural leadership programs (e.g., 4-H) | ||||||
| Our food services personnel partner with the Agriculture Science and Technology Education (ASTE) on farm-to-school operations | ||||||
| Our teachers have access to educational materials that allow them to find innovative ways teach Farm to School concepts | ||||||
| Our teachers have ongoing professional development opportunities to create and update Farm to School curricula | ||||||
| Other | ||||||
Which types of technical assistance would be helpful for your classrooms? Please check all that apply.
Classroom (High School)
Best Practices and Needs Assessment
Best Practices and Needs Assessment
We recognize that LEAs may divide grades into schools in different ways.
For these questions, please answer the questions about “elementary schools” while thinking of students from kindergarten to grade 5; “middle schools” while thinking of students in grades 6 through 8; and “high schools” while thinking of students in grades 9 through 12.
For these questions, please answer the questions about “elementary schools” while thinking of students from kindergarten to grade 5; “middle schools” while thinking of students in grades 6 through 8; and “high schools” while thinking of students in grades 9 through 12.
Which grade levels does this school serve? Please check all that apply.
Please check only one response that best describes your LEA (High School). Responses should reflect activities during the previous and current school year.
| (0) We are not doing this | (1) We are not doing this, but we are interested | (2) We have begun and are making progress | (3) We have done this in the past | (4) We are doing this! | N/A | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| We celebrate CT Grown for CT Kids Week in Early October | ||||||
| We celebrate National Farm to School Month (October) | ||||||
| We organize farm field trips for students | ||||||
| We host farmer visits to our cafeteria or classrooms | ||||||
| We organize unique pop-up farmer's markets or farm events in our schools | ||||||
| Our schools have edible school gardens (indoor or outdoor) | ||||||
| Our schools have implemented composting | ||||||
| Our schools have culinary programs | ||||||
| Our schools have cooking demos for kids and teachers, or young chef contests with Farm to School | ||||||
| We have a coordinated approach to providing students with experiences growing, harvesting, and cooking food | ||||||
| Our curriculum incorporates Farm to School concepts (e.g., literacy work using a garden or farm book, writing a prompt about a plant) | ||||||
| Our students learn about agriculture-related careers (e.g., through a class/curriculum or clubs like 4-H or Future Farmers of America) | ||||||
| Our students are involved in agricultural leadership programs (e.g., 4-H) | ||||||
| Our food services personnel partner with the Agriculture Science and Technology Education (ASTE) on farm-to-school operations | ||||||
| Our teachers have access to educational materials that allow them to find innovative ways teach Farm to School concepts | ||||||
| Our teachers have ongoing professional development opportunities to create and update Farm to School curricula |
Please check only one response that best describes your LEA. Responses should reflect activities during the previous and current school year.
Coordination
Best Practices and Needs Assessment
Best Practices and Needs Assessment
Farm to School activities take place in the cafeteria (e.g., procurement of local foods, taste tests);
classroom (e.g., school garden, incorporating Farm to School concepts into the curriculum); and
community (e.g., events to promote Farm to School activities with parents). The coordination of Farm to
School activities across these settings is important for overall success. Recommended respondent: school food
service director/menu planner/procurement specialist. Please answer these questions thinking about all schools in your district.
Please select the column that best describes your activities last year (2024-2025) and this year (2025-2026).
| (0) We are not doing this | (1) We are not doing this, but we are interested | (2) We have begun and are making progress | (3) We have done this in the past | (4) We are doing this! | N/A | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our community members, students, and school staff see Farm to School practices as integral to our community, schools, and educational programming | ||||||
| Our LEA has a designated Farm to School coordinator (different from the Regional Farm to School Coordinators) | ||||||
| Our LEA has a Farm to School team | ||||||
| When hiring all staff, we consider the applicant's ability to contribute to our farm and school activities | ||||||
| We have a funding system in place that can sustain Farm to School activities over the long term | ||||||
| Our LEA holds periodic meetings among the community to discuss Farm to School operations | ||||||
| Other | ||||||
Our school district's current Farm to School goals are:
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