Hartford is a food desert. There is limited access to fresh food in many hartford neighborhoods

This is because many hartford neighborhoods are located over one-half mile from a supermarket (USDA economic research service, 2020). Another contributing factor to limited access to fresh food is that many households DON't have access to a vehicle. Knox farmers market is accessible on the bus route to all neighborhoods in the city. In their 2019 annual report, hartford advisory commission on food policy recommended supporting the redevelopment of hartford regional market in order to increase access to fresh, locally grown produce in hartford (hartford advisory commission on food policy, 2019).our overall goal is to deliver high-quality training to underemployed, beginning farmers that prepares them to start farming businesses or enter careers as farmers. In doing so, we will increase access to healthy, affordable food grown in hartford. We will provide agricultural, professional, financial, and business skills training to 45 beginning farmers in the knox urban farming program through our newly-redesigned three-level program model. We anticipate 21 participants will create farm startups, 21 will adopt a new marketing practice, 27 will develop a business plan, and 31 will adopt a new production practice. We will also offer trainings to 120 non-program participants, focusing on low-space, high-yield growing and other emerging topics.additionally, we will leverage local partnerships to meet needs of participants not covered through the program and promote the importance and community value of urban farming in hartford. Hands on hartford will provide access to their commercial kitchen, enabling participants to create value-added products. Reset will provide basic business model and marketing trainings. Farm credit east will provide agribusiness and financial literacy trainings. We will also increase access to healthy, locally grown food in hartford by leveraging knox'spartnership with hartford public schools and farmers markets to engage participants in growing produce to sell to the community.as part of their health and wellness initiative since 2017, hartford public schools has been purchasing produce from participants for school lunches. Produce is made available to 22,000 students across 50 schools!