Stories

Food Service Manager Jake Gallogly is celebrated by Hunger Free Vermont and School Nutrition Association of Vermont for increasing access to healthy school meals.

The National Farm to School Network gathered Vermont food systems specialists to share our state’s unique approach to implementing the USDA Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement.

March 7, 2024 – Network Coordinator Dana Hudson spoke with Hayden Fuller, 2010–14 Jr Iron Chef VT student participant, to hear how the program impacted his life.

February 22, 2024 – champions of the farm to school movement spoke to state leaders about how farm to school is making a difference in their communities.

February 2024 – How can early educators make the best use funding to connect their children to local food and nutrition and agriculture education? Watch a recent webinar from ASPHN to explore current approaches from early educators and policy specialists.

February 14, 2024 – VAAFM Farm to School grantee Charleston Elementary tried out food systems activities for their classrooms, brainstormed new ways to connect students to their neighboring farmers and producers, and made a kid-friendly snack.

January 2024 – We gathered as a Network to share food and stories, brainstorm together, align projects, and inspire one another's efforts.

January 19, 2024 – As a high school student, it’s easy to grab food from the cafeteria without thinking about who made it or how it got there. Student Soob Soobitsky decided to go beyond the lunch tray to meet the dedicated kitchen staff who prepare their meals daily.

January 18, 2024 – As a longtime farm to school champion, Dana will bring her expertise to our membership, fostering learning, collaboration, and innovation that advances our common goal.

January 2024 – Vital Communities’ Upper Valley Farm to School Network funded six projects at area schools and early childhood education centers.

October 24, 2023 – Students and faculty at Spaulding Alternative School showcase how they’re putting their farm to school plan into action.

October 2023 – The Janet Munt Family Room's annual Family Supper and farm to early childhood programming supports families across the community.

October 19, 2023 – A pilot project brings organic milk into classrooms: Windham Northeast Supervisory Union students visit Miller Farm to see where their milk comes from.

September 2023 – Early childhood center Growing With Wonder is using child-led, play-based learning experiences to engage with food in a meaningful and responsible way.

September 20, 2023 – The Windham Northeast Supervisory Union is partnering with a local dairy farm to provide organic milk to students in four schools.

September 9, 2023 –“My goal was always to connect kids’ lunches with food producers and local foods,” said Gretchen Czaja, the SU’s food service director.

September 8, 2023 – Miller Farm supplies Windham Northeast Supervisory Union with organic milk in a stainless steel 'cow'.

August 2023 - An early educator in Milton has created a space where food and community intersect, providing a nurturing environment for children and families to learn and support one another.

June 13, 2023 – Vermont's Local Purchasing Incentive has allowed the district to stretch dollars further and focus more on local purchasing.

June 9, 2023 – Vermont supervisory unions purchase locally through The Local Foods Incentive Grant are recognized. Windham Northeast Supervisory Union has the highest percentage at 27% local.

June 2023 – Three videos highlighting activities that explore outdoor, place-based learning; cooking with kids; and extending young children’s knowledge of agriculture and the food they eat.

June 2, 2023 - June is National Dairy Month, and Shelburne Farms is highlighting a longtime program connecting farmer and students: Dairy in the Classroom.

April 3, 2023 – Vermont Edition speaks with school food and policy experts on the need for Universal School Meals in the state.

March 31, 2023 –Through the lens of Vermont, NPR highlights how the movement to provide free school lunches for all students—regardless of ability to pay—is helping kids and educators alike.

February 2023 – On Farm to School & Early Childhood Day, advocates testified in Senate and House Committees to share how food systems education and local foods in school meals are making a difference to Vermont students, farmers, and communities.

November 14, 2022, This Farm Feeds Vermont Kids – Alburgh Community Education Center Food Services Manager Charity Nephew shares how she has sourced more food locally while keeping costs down.

November 8, 2022, This Farm Feeds Vermont Kids – Home-based childcare program owner Laura Butler and Blue Heron Farmer and Owner Christine Bourque are bringing farm-fresh food to kids and broadening tastebuds.

November 3, 2022, This Farm Feeds Vermont Kids – The Milton Family Community Center is dedicated to connecting kids to agriculture, nutrition, and people who grow their food—and the work is paying off.

October 4, 2022 – “Farm to school is now nationwide, and where did it start? Here in Vermont,” said Senator Patrick Leahy. We kicked off Farm to School Month with a celebration at Crossett Brook Middle School.

July 29, 2022 – Our webinar series for educators was as much a learning tool for school communities as it was for the Network partners who created it.

June 1, 2022 – Vermont Students to Receive No-Cost Breakfast and Lunch for 2022-23. On Tuesday, May 31, Gov. Phil Scott signed S.100, the Universal School Meals Act. This act, combined with legislation passed in this biennium to increase the use of Vermont foods and farm to school, means Vermont students will all have access to Farm Fresh School Meals everyday.

November 11, 2021 – Senior manager for the Child Nutrition Program at the Essex Westford School District Scott Fay explains the critical need for schools to source more local food.

October 2021 – October is National Farm to School month and to celebrate here in Vermont, farms across the state that provide food to schools or early childhood programs are proudly displaying lawn signs that read: This Farm Feeds Vermont Kids.

September 7, 2021 – National Farm to School leaders visit Shelburne Farms to learn about Vermont's farm to school successes. Seven Days visits Harwood Union High School to see programs in action.

June 2021 – Governor Phil Scott signed H.106 and H.439 on June 8, 2021, enacting a Local Foods Purchasing Incentive for Vermont schools. This new law (now Act 67) will provide a direct incentive to schools who meet local purchasing targets in their school meal programs, allowing them to serve more fresh Vermont food on their menus.

May 2021 – U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) visited Sharon Elementary School to highlight new federal Farm to School legislation. The Farm to School Act, introduced by Leahy on April 22, seeks to reauthorize and expand the popular federal Farm to School program.

May 2021 – Kathleen Kesson asks, "What happens to all these lovely school gardens in the most bountiful months of the summer, when school is out and there is no one to tend them?" 

2016, and a 2020 Update – Milton High School biology teacher Rick Scharf shares his story about learning the art of growing mushrooms and sharing his love of gardening with his students as part of the curriculum.

October 2020 – As a result of Covid-19 and waivers granted at the federal level, for the first time ever, all Vermont schools are currently providing Universal School Meals to their students and will through the end of the 2020/21 school year.

March 2020 – On February 12, students, teachers, administrators, farmers, school nutrition staff and advocates came to the Capitol to share their stories of the benefits of farm to school.

December 17, 2019 – Vermont Farm to School Network members had a busy year expanding farm to school activities​ throughout the state. We're sharing a look into some of the Action Teams’ recent progress.

October 10, 2019 –  Senator Leahy visited the St. Albans Town Education Center to celebrate Farm to School month and announce USDA grants awarded for school districts in Vermont to expand Farm to School activities.

June 11, 2019 – Read updates about the current state of the movement nationally, the accomplishments, lessons learned, and the Network’s commitment to social justice and equity.

March 11, 2019 – Farm to school champions gathered at the Vermont State House in Montpelier to advocate for the expansion of Vermont’s Farm to School and Early Childhood program and raise awareness of the positive impact of this program.

November 12, 2018 – October was National Farm to School Month, a time to celebrate the connections happening all over the country between children and local food. Here is just a glimpse of a few ways the state celebrated.

October 23, 2018 - Supporters of farm to school in Vermont gathered Monday morning at Berlin Elementary School to celebrate National Farm to School Month, as well as the awarding of an USDA Grant to NOFA-VT to support Farm to School efforts in the state. The group also participated in a tour of the school garden, hosted by several of the students at the school.

May 28, 2018 – While schools and communities around the state have been cooking up great Farm to School activities all year, our Farm to School Network Action Teams have been busy tackling strategic projects that will help us reach our statewide goal. Read on for updates about the high impact projects our teams are taking on, and how you can get involved.

March 2018 – Vermont schools are embracing a wide range of farm to school experiences. In order to illustrate how farm to school programming could work in early care and K-12 schools, we chose five examples from across the state, diverse in experience, student population, grade level, socioeconomic representation, and approaches.

March 4, 2018 – This month, the School Nutrition Association celebrates National School Breakfast Week. Vermont schools take seriously the notion that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and they’ve embraced serving breakfast to students in a variety of new and creative ways.

November 1, 2017 – Farm to School Month kicked off in Vermont Monday, October 2, when Governor Phil Scott will signed a proclamation declaring October to be Vermont’s Farm to School Month in the Governor’s Ceremonial Offices at the Statehouse.

June 8, 2017 – Governor Phil Scott signed S.33, the Rozo McLaughlin Farm to School bill, which will further enhance Vermont’s Farm to School programming by expanding the program and setting new, ambitious goals for growth.

February 14, 2017 – Farm to school champions gathered at the Vermont State House in Montpelier to advocate for the expansion of Vermont’s Farm to School program and raise awareness of the positive impact Farm to School has on Vermont kids, our health, and the local economy. Here are just a few highlights from these testimonies

2016 – Sharon Elementary third grade teacher Keenan Haley discusses place-based-education, and how he teaches his students to care for themselves so that they can learn to take care of the world around them.

2016 – Teacher Meg Hopkins of Sharon Elementary talks about how farm to school has helped her fourth graders draw critical connections between education, food, equity, community, and service.

2016 – Barrett Williams, Principal of Sharon Elementary School, shares his experiences with farm to school and place-based education over the last ten years and the impacts on learners of all kinds.

2015 – Steve Marinelli, Food Service Director for the Milton Town School District, talks about how Farm to School has helped Milton's school meal program evolve into a showcase for healthy, local foods.