Food Connects Goes to the Vermont Statehouse for Farm to School Awareness Day
By Tom Brewton & Kristen Thompson
Food Connects Food Hub Institutional Sales Associate, Tom Brewton, advocates for the Farm to School and Early Childhood Program and the Local Foods Incentive Grant at the Vermont Statehouse.
On February 8th, our Food Hub Institutional Sales Associate, Tom Brewton, visited the Vermont Statehouse to support Farm to School Awareness Day. He testified before the Senate Agriculture Committee and the House Agriculture, Food Resilience, and Forestry Committee, requesting support for the Farm to School and Early Childhood Program and the Local Foods Incentive Grant.
Tom told us, “It was an honor to share the stories of our producers, including Boyden Farm, Green Mountain Orchards, and True North Granola. Many thanks go out to all the Farm to School champions in attendance today, including Food Service Directors Harley Sterling of Windham Northeast Supervisory Union and Jim Birmingham of Montpelier Roxbury Public Schools, Farmer Ashley Fioretti of Little Flower Farm, Shelburne Farms, Vermont FEED, Green Mountain Farm Direct, Vermont Agency of Education, Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, and many many more!”
Tom shared stories from a few of our producers to show the impact Farm to School policy can have on our farms and communities. The first producer he highlighted was Boyden Farm of Cambridge, VT, which Food Connects started working with in March 2021. Tom told members of the Statehouse:
A farmworker gives cows omega-3-rich grain and flax feed in the fields at Boyden Farm in Cambridge, VT.
“Farmer Mark Boyden cares deeply about serving public schools. He says, “The big thing is getting kids to expect local food, and they keep that when they grow up. That’s more important than sales.”
During the 2021-2022 school year, Food Connects sold approximately $35,000 of Boyden Farm beef to VT public schools. Two school districts were responsible for more than 45% of these orders—Windham Northeast Supervisory Union and Windsor Central Supervisory Union. Of the districts that reapplied for the Local Food Incentive Grant, these districts had the two highest local purchasing percentages.”
Tom then shared the Local Food Incentive Grant's impact on our work with Green Mountain Orchards of Putney, VT:
Andrea Darrow, owner of Green Mountain Orchards, in the orchards in Putney, VT.
“This orchard was one of Food Connects’ first partner farms over a decade ago, so it’s been especially rewarding to support the orchard’s increased sales as a result of the Local Food Incentive Grant.
Food Connects sold approximately $9,000 in apple sales to Vermont public schools in the 2020-2021 school year and approximately $48,500 in apple sales the next school year, representing over 400% increased sales in just one year. 400%! And we’ve already exceeded $50,000 in apple sales this school year—and it's only February!
Andrea Darrow, the owner of Green Mountain Orchards, is excited to sell more to Vermont schools, especially since Food Connects pays a fair market price compared to her other customer outlets. And Andrea and I are already in the planning stages to deliver more Green Mountain Orchard apples to Vermont public schools from next year’s harvests. Our hope is that, at some point, every apple in a Vermont school is a Vermont-grown apple.”
Finally, Tom talked about the local impact the Local Food Incentive Grant has had right here in Brattleboro for our vendor True North Granola, saying:
True North Granola founders, Ingrid and Franklin Chrisco, crafting delicious granolas in Brattleboro, VT.
“The last producer story I’ll highlight today is of True North Granola founders Ingrid and Franklin Chrisco. Based out of Brattleboro, VT, Ingrid and Franklin are lifelong educators and recognize the importance of healthy foods in schools. Because of the Local Food Incentive Grant, Windham Southeast Supervisory Union began purchasing their Gluten Free, No Nuts Maple Vanilla Granola. While Food Connects only sold $30 of True North Granola products to Vermont public schools in the 2020-2021 School Year, we sold more than $7,000 in the following school year.”
At the end of his testimony, Tom stressed, “I could continue to share more stories demonstrating the beneficial social and economic impacts of the Local Food Incentive Grant. From purchasing new products from our existing producer base, like Vermont Salumi bulk sausage, to onboarding new producers altogether, including Cabot Creamery, I have seen firsthand how the Local Food Incentive Grant continues to strengthen our local food economy.”
Well said, Tom!
A local lunch for Farm to School Awareness Day at the Vermont Statehouse.
After giving his testimony, Tom and the members of the Statehouse enjoyed a local lunch prepared by The Abbey Group featuring a black bean and roasted butternut grain salad with chicken.
“As if the day couldn't have gotten any better!” Tom remarked.
The lunch featured Vermont Bean Crafters black beans, local butternut squash, Nitty Gritty Grain Co., and Misty Knoll Farms chicken. The recipe came directly from the New School Cuisine Cookbook—a cookbook for school cooks, by school cooks. Developed by Vermont school nutrition professionals with support from the New England Culinary Institute, this cookbook includes 78 kid-tested and approved recipes that meet the new USDA dietary guidelines and feature local, seasonal foods.
The lunch was a perfect way to celebrate the work being done to strengthen farm to school connections in Vermont for Farm to School Awareness Day!
We are so grateful for all the Farm to School champions who help ensure that our children have access to a diversified range of local, nutritious foods while providing a sustainable market for our VT farmers.