For our Farm to School team at Food Connects, it's very important that our Farm to School sponsors align with our core values. And when we heard that VSECU’s (a values-based credit union) mission was “To improve the quality of life for all Vermonters,” we knew there was the making for a great partnership.

VSECU’s values-based thinking and focus on the triple bottom line is a demonstration of its commitment to our greater community. As they commit to reinvesting in businesses and our community, they are also reinvesting in our children. This upcoming school year, VSECU will help our Farm to School team supply valuable resources to schools throughout Windham County—from professional development and curriculum development to applying for grants and local food taste tests.

"The Farm to School Program just makes sense,” says Simeon Chapin, Community Impact Officer for VSECU. “Healthy, nutritious food is a cornerstone of a child's preparation for learning. Providing these foods, and teaching kids where their food comes from and how to grow it sets the path for health and vitality for life. It's also an economic lesson in the importance of buying local. Schools are a center of our communities—it's key to connect them to our working landscape and the people who steward it."

We are so grateful for the support VSECU provides to our Farm to School program—living up to their mission of improving the quality of life for all Vermonters, especially the children. Their support helps drive our program forward, and it’s easy to see the impact our sponsors have on schools. Thank you, VSECU, for being a Farm to School champion!