Many of Food Connects’ sponsors are local businesses looking to support Farm to School that may not directly do so with their work. Food Connects has the unique privilege, however, of working closely with one daily—Fresh Picks Café.

Based out of Manchester, NH, Fresh Picks Café is a food service contracting company that works with public schools and school districts to provide meals for their students. These meals, often sourcing local foods and always following state and federal guidelines, are quite delicious! Our Farm to School team works with Fresh Picks Café team members at schools in the Windham Southeast Supervisory Union (WSESU), and their values align well with our work.

“The motivating philosophy at Fresh Picks Café is that wellness and good food go hand in hand—especially in education. Our comprehensive, coordinated, pro-active wellness programs promote this belief with an emphasis on fresh and whole wheat foods that are locally grown and produced.”

— Fresh Picks Café

And so, a symbiotic relationship was established. Fresh Picks Café supports our Farm to School program and helps us grow and thrive. At the same time, our Farm to School team helps their school teams apply for kitchen equipment grants, provides professional development opportunities, and partners with them on multiple projects. For example, Food Connects supported WSESU’s Where in the World are We Eating program. And Food Connects and WSESU staff nominated Food Service Director Ali West for the School Nutrition of Vermont's Outstanding Achievement award last year.

This long-lasting partnership has helped feed children throughout Windham County for years and will continue to bring the most nutritious food possible to help kids in our neighborhoods thrive.