Sean Fitzpatrick founded Real Food CT, Inc, on the belief that everyone has a right to healthy food. The nonprofit was founded in 2019 and has delivered thousands of pounds of healthy food to local pantries.

Recently, Governor Ned Lamont announced that he and his administration were releasing $1.55 million in state grants to help purchase healthy, Connecticut-grown products from local farms for distribution to food-insecure populations. Real Food CT, Inc won $150,000.

“Being asked to do this,” Fitzpatrick said, “It’s great. It’s an honor. We’ll take it serious and we’re excited to deepen those relationships with the farms and pantries.”

Fitzpatrick explained how the grant works: while Real Food CT, Inc grows its own food, another huge aspect of what the nonprofit does is source level A produce from other local farms and distributes it to local food pantries. This grant allows Real Food CT, Inc, to purchase more produce, which gives more money to the farmers, which then allows them to better prepare for the next growing season.

“We’re an organization that was chosen because we have built all those relationships already and those systems that connect local farms and food panties. It’s been our primary mission all along,” Fitzpatrick said. “It’s our responsibility as a steward of the grant to try to encourage and develop lasting relationships that will benefit everybody moving forward.”

The grant is a 14-month contract, in which Real Food CT, Inc, will have to divide the money over those months and decide how to spend it. Fitzpatrick mentioned the difference between fresh produce during the growing season and having to purchase “storage crops” or canned items during the off seasons.

Fitzpatrick emphasized that the “lasting relationships” are “where your work is done.” He noted that the grant requires responsibility on the recipients’ parts to “build past” this contract period.

“There’s a great need,” Fitzpatrick said. He explained that Real Food CT, Inc reaches all the way to Bridgeport and Naugatuck Valley. While the announcement of the grant was “unexpected,” Real Food CT, Inc is ready for this year and this growing season.

Growing Real Food CT, Inc

Fitzpatrick said Real Food CT, Inc got this grant because “you’re doing a good job and you’re making an impact.”

While Real Food CT, Inc has the infrastructure to pick up produce from around the area and deliver it to food pantries, Fitzpatrick wants to do more. He shared that he is “in the midst” of a “planning process” to find a larger piece of farmland to build more revenue and infrastructure.

“There’s a lot of healthy food in the system that doesn’t make its way to where it needs to go. And when I say a lot, I mean hundreds of thousands of pounds,” Fitzpatrick said. He wants readers to remember that “at any point,” a neighbor could fall on some hard times and need help accessing healthy food.

Volunteers are always welcome to help at the farm. Those who are interested in helping out Real Food CT, Inc can e-mail jessi@realfoodct.org for more information. The website, realfoodct.org, has more information about the history of the nonprofit and what it does to help its community.

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Reporter Sam Cross can be reached at sam@thebee.com.