This case study profiles CT Food 4 Thought, a hydroponic greenhouse farm operated by New Opportunities, a CAA in northwest Connecticut. It discusses how the CAA’s leadership pivoted strategically to grow its business from an idea to a successful farm producing 8,000-11,000 heads of lettuce per week. The case study also discusses some of the legal questions faced by the agency along the way, such as how to structure the social enterprise and manage unrelated business income tax.
Community Economic Development for CAAs
As part of their mission to lift people with low incomes from poverty to self-sufficiency, Community Action Agencies (CAAs) often seek to spur growth and build wealth in their communities through job creation and business development. These efforts can generally be...