Governor, State Ag Commissioner, Hail "Real" Farm-To-Table School Meals At Rockville High School

VERNON, CT — Gov. Ned Lamont, state Agriculture Commissioner Bryan Hurlburt, state Farm Recovery Support Grant Coordinator Kaylee Carlisle, Vernon school system Chef Tom Turvil and a host of favorites on Wednesday gathered at the Rockville High School Agricultural Science and Technology Education wing to get an early start to Connecticut's annual CT Grown for CT Kids Week and one thing was clear.

School lunches are more than chicken nuggets these days.

The week is scheduled for Oct. 5 through 9, with the theme this year being "Breakfast and Beyond — CT Fresh All Day Long." RHS was chosen as a backdrop because it is considered a showcase farm-to-table school meals program.

Hurlburt hailed school systems that "make the choice to provide better meals."

He added, "It's not an easy choice, but it's not not just a priority, but reality."

As Hurlburt was saying that, the smell of fresh pickles, cured by Turvil with soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, red pepper and sesame seeds was filling the air.

The cukes used to make the pickles were grown in a RHS ASTE greenhouse. During the summer, a total of about 2,000 pounds of locally sourced, fresh produce were prepared by Chef Tom and the staff for the 2026-27 school year.

"We have great relationships with local farmers," he said.

And the RHS produce?

"There is nothing like pulling it out of the ground and cooking it right here," he said.

Features for next week's CT Grown for CT Kids week include Tex-Mex and locally sourced home fries. The following week, for National School Lunch Week, Chef Tom is bringing back an adopted family Caribbean chicken and rice dish and the Korean beef bowl.

That sits just fine with RHS junior Jacob Brown.

"The food has gotten a lot better," he said. "Last year, it was mozzarella sticks and cheese bites. Now, it's four different types of chicken and the beef and rice bowl. It's nothing like I've ever had in school."

Unprompted, Jacob's dad, state Rep. Kevin Brown, who has been an educator for two decades, quipped, "For 21 years, I have heard students complain about the quality of lunches."

State Rep. Jamie Foster, who holds a doctorate degree in nutritional science, agreed with Brown that hungry students do not perform as well as those who have had a good school meal.

The state has invested $5.5 million in the CT Grown for CT Kids program.

The governor said school meals have come a long way from, "A Pop Tart and something called Tang."

"I love this program," Lamont said. "It makes education real. I love what it means for our farms. It brings fresh produce to schools."