What's Happening with the Farm to School Movement in Vermont?

A 2017 survey indicated that more than half of the state’s K-12 schools are integrating Farm to School programming into their cafeterias, classrooms, and communities! Especially in Vermont, schools are part of an interconnected system involving children, families, businesses, farms, distributors, and the broader community. Farm to School is not an add-on, but a mechanism for achieving school goals while improving the health and wellness of students, schools, and communities. This case study serves as tangible inspiration in recognizing there is not only one path to integrating a farm to school program at a school or early care site.

The Bennington County Head Start (BCHS) is an important hub of services for families with young children in the southwestern corner of Vermont operating at various sites, including the area’s federally funded Early Head Start program for very young children. Its mission: to provide comprehensive, community-based education and health and social services that foster personal growth, well-being, and lifelong learning opportunities for the families it serves. BCHS encourages full participation in programs through respectful, trusting relationships that recognize the inherent dignity and individuality of all family members.

This series of case studies is a project of the Vermont Farm to School Network, University of Vermont Extension, and Vermont FEED.

We invite you to read the full report below, and/or download the report by filling out the fields further below.