Picture it: The year is 2030, and you pick up a newspaper. 

As you flip through the pages, a headline catches your eye: “President Chappell Roan Signs Bill for Universal Farm-Fresh Meals in All Educational Institutions, From Birth Through Graduate School, with a 50% Locally-Sourced Food Clause.” 

A quote from the article in Forbes Magazine reads: “After visiting Vermont and witnessing the impact of Farm to School educational programming and local food served in cafeterias, President Roan declares, ‘All students in this country deserve these educational and nutritional opportunities. Vermont showed us it’s possible.’”

While Chappell Roan may need to wait a few more years before she is eligible for the highest office in the land, the sentiment of that vision is an inspiring catalyst driven by the current work happening across the Green Mountain State. This playful thought experiment sparked hopeful visions of the future with those present at the Vermont Farm to School and Early Childhood Network Annual Gathering held in Rutland on October 9th. The afternoon included a brief historical overview of the Network and its goals. Participants also had time for collaborative work on the VT FTS Network Action Teams. Additionally, the gathering featured a generous and insightful keynote address by Lechelle-Antonia Gray, Community Engagement Consultant and Hunger Free Vermont Outreach Manager. Gray spoke about the value of community spaces and events during her formative years. This  resonated deeply with Farm to School Coach Adelaide Petrov-Yoo, who agreed that such spaces play an important role in fostering connection.

The Food Connects team in attendance included Rachelle Ackerman, Patrick Ackerman-Hovis, Pete Bayliss, Sheila Humphreys, Adelaide Petrov-Yoo, Devan Monette, and Kris Nelson. They were joined by Sarah Rosow, FTS Coordinator at Guilford Central School. Exploring the possibilities, together they envisioned a future where Rep. Becca Balint, in her new role as Speaker of the House, lauds the work of Farm to School education on the national stage: “I am extremely proud of the strong program developed in Vermont, and look forward to introducing legislation at the federal level to bring this nationwide.”

This creative exercise allowed participants to dream and explore serious ways to accomplish today's work, finding solutions and pursuing our guiding principles as we move into the future.

Part of the Food Connects group began the day visiting Evening Song Farm, a CSA in Cuttingsville, VT, owned and managed by Kara and Ryan Fitzbeauchamp. They guided the team through their farm’s flourishing fields, greenhouse, and CSA barn, sharing insights about farming on a slope (after their original property in a river valley was destroyed during Hurricane Irene), managing a local CSA, and their growing partnership with Shrewsbury Elementary School. Farm to School Coach Sheila Humphreys felt inspired by their commitment to soil health, noting how they add compost sourced from locally milled bark mulch, which retains water and adapts well to climate change—and is ideal for growing Brussels sprouts.

After visiting the farm, the team enjoyed lunch at the Vermont Farmers Food Center.  Located right alongside the Vermont Railway, VFFC is a project of the Vermont Farmers Market Education Center, repurposing the former home of the Lincoln Iron Works. While the group enjoyed the impressive sound of several passing freight trains, they learned about VFFC’s Farm-Based Experiential Learning program, a partnership with the Rutland Rotary.  

By the end of the day, it was clear that Vermont is brimming with passionate individuals ready to engage in creative approaches to sharing knowledge about farming and food resources within their communities. There is no singular solution to tackling systemic change, but as Vermonters, we can find strength in our diverse perspectives, histories, and experiences to collaborate on tailored solutions. What is essential is connecting ideas with actionable items, as Harvest of the Month Manager Devan Monette noted. 

As the Food Connects Farm to School team moves forward from National Farm to School Month, they plan to continue building bridges that enable educators to effectively share their knowledge with students and classroom communities, bringing their shared vision to life. So, as you imagine the year 2030 and pick up that newspaper, what do you see? What headline captures the success of our collective efforts in Farm to School programming?"