Connecting as a Network

There is something special about congregating with your peers and colleagues, especially when you live across the state from one another. During this time of post-pandemic transition days, we’ve all come to appreciate how face-to-face interactions can feed our souls. Sharing food and stories, brainstorming together, and inspiring each other, are no longer taken for granted.

 

Kheya Ganguly, the Director of Trauma Prevention with the VT Department of Mental Health addresses the Network
 Attendees were inspired by Kheya Ganguly, the Director of Trauma Prevention with the VT Department of Mental Health, who spoke of the social and emotional benefits of farm to school in our communities. Photo: Sarah Webb.

 

So when we met as a Network in October, we celebrated and crafted the gathering around the themes of connection and engagement. The Randolph Campus of Vermont State University parking lot was filled with bumper stickers celebrating local farmers, food justice, and feeding our kids, as over 75 members came together for an afternoon of collective work and sharing.

 

    • Action Team Updates

      Representatives from each of the network's six action teams shared about their ongoing projects.

      Read more about the action teams' ongoing work

      a woman leads a group in discussion, writes on a flip chart entitled, "Table 1: 30% Local Food Purchasing"
      #d5e382

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      Sharing & Aligning: New Ideas, Questions, and Opportunities

      Small group breakout sessions allowed for deeper discussions surrounding community-based learning, farm to early childhood, equitable access, food system education, climate resilience, social justice, and reaching the ambitious goal of 30% local food by 2030. All these discussions lead to the collective goal of farm to school in every Vermont community, with many themes emerging:

      • One key idea that came up in many group conversations: Who isn't at our table? How do we bring more new partners into this work? Who is not here, that could be or should be?  Who used to be more involved, but for one reason or another has fallen away from this work? How do we continue to identify and cultivate new partners? 
      • Storytelling was a consistent theme in many conversations. It popped up in almost every group discussion, from sharing stories of student learning, to examples of successful local purchasing, to spreading the news about positive community impacts. The stories of farm to school will help make this work real for all audiences, and can demonstrate strategies for successful integration across the classroom, community, and cafeteria. 
      • Another common challenge: How do we find and take full advantage of our internal network relationships? How can network members see points of intersection and alignment within our shared work?  By deepening our understanding of each other's work, and finding new ways to share, adapt, and cross pollinate, we can make better progress toward our goal.
         
      Netowrk members address the group, a projected slide behind them, showing illustrating local purchasing throughout the state
      Network members from NOFA-VT, Green Mountain Farm Direct, and Food Connects share out about the successes in local purchasing in the last year, bolstered by the Local Food Incentive Grant, Vermont food hubs, and dedicated school nutrition professionals. Photo: Sarah Webb.