BS&L Grows Farm to School in Brattleboro

Sprouting kits, blooming gardens, outdoor exploration, and more—Brattleboro schools had a great year of Farm to School activities. Over the past school year, we have seen the flexibility and adaptability of Farm to School programs. At Food Connects, we work with schools to coach teams and implement Farm to School activities. This year, Brattleboro Savings & Loan (BS&L) sponsored a portion of our work in the Brattleboro schools.

"At BS&L, we understand that good nutrition and access to healthy foods is critical to developing lifelong healthy eating habits and overall good health,” says Dan Yates, President and CEO at BS&L. “That's one reason we support this important program." 

Students gardening at Green Street School.

One of the most effective ways to get kids to eat new foods is by engaging them in growing their fruits and veggies. Taste tests and school gardens throughout the Windham Southeast School District (WSESD) bring these experiences daily. The Farm to School efforts don’t end when the school year finishes either! A perennial Farm to School question is, what do you do with the gardens when students aren’t there? Each school has a unique answer to this question; the WSESD partners with Food Connects to ensure the gardens thrive throughout the year. 

Tara Gordon, Food Connects Garden Coordinator, has worked hard all summer tending to the plants and inviting families into the space. Tara’s consistent presence ensures the beds don’t get out of hand, whether it’s an early-season drought or soaking rains. She is also a friendly guide for families interested in learning more over the summer months.

“It's amazing to see the gardens come to life in the summer, the colors, the smells, the heights and fullness of the plants, and of course the fresh fruits and vegetables we can enjoy, making the garden such a wonderful place to spend time in the summer.” reflects Mary Kauffman, Oak Grove School Principal. “Each month, Tara can be seen throughout the school working with classes, both inside and outside, to learn more about gardening, harvesting, and cooking!” 

Summer Garden Coordinator, Tara Gordon.

Support from Brattleboro Savings & Loan helps Food Connects bring the needed resources to Tara and Oak Grove for successful programs, whether that’s cooking supplies, seeds, community connections, or a partner in curriculum development. Visit Oak Grove during their annual Harvest Dinner to see the fruits of everyone’s work—delicious foods grown on the campus and engaged students proud of the healthy meal they had a part in creating.  

For many, Farm to School is the highlight of the day, principals included! “I love spending time in classes when Tara is the guest visitor,” says Mary Kauffman. “We get to learn about the harvest, see how easily it can be included in our everyday lives, and get to taste something delicious.”

What’s Been Cooking in 2020

Who would have guessed 2020 would end with sweet potatoes roasting over an open fire? 

Cooking and nutrition education are bright spots for schools across the region as teachers adapt and evolve to a constantly changing situation—truly embodying resiliency (a contender for 2020 Word of the Year). This story of resilience stands as a testament to the fundamental role Farm to School programming plays in today’s general curriculum—cooking kept students hands-on during remote learning and has flourished during the return to (increasingly outdoor) classrooms.

Westminster Grow Pack.

Last spring, schools closed swiftly—winter boots left in cubbies and desks full of supplies. Teachers had difficulties getting into their classrooms to grab materials for their lessons. Despite these challenges, cooking and gardening education continued to enliven the curriculum. Sarah Rosow (Guilford Central School) and Mandy Walsh (Westminster Center School) got grow kits out to students via pick up locations and bus deliveries. These kits enabled students to get their hands dirty in the “garden”, even if they lived in an apartment.  At Riverside Middle School, STEAM teacher Becca Osbourne tried her hand at virtual cooking lessons, which her 6th graders particularly took to. 

A crucial part of cooking education takes place long before students begin chopping veggies. Farm to School programming focuses on cycles—for food, the cycle is most powerful when students have a hand in each part of the process, from seed to plate (or Seed2Tray when talking about food in the West River Education District). Recognizing this, school garden coordinators worked hard last spring to ensure gardens were planted—filled with intentions of a bountiful fall and a return to normalcy. 

River Gallery Arts visits Oak Grove School.

Food Connects hosted regional calls for coordinators to share tips and tricks and provide connection during an otherwise distanced season. Thanks to these collective efforts, gardens thrived this past summer. Food Connects Garden Coordinator, Tara Gordon, maintained six of the gardens in Windham Southeast Supervisory Union and we piloted free family art activities thanks to support from RiseVT and three local arts organizations—River Gallery School of Art, Insight Photography, and the Human Art of Play. The culmination of these regional efforts were gardens readily awaiting the return of students if public safety would allow.

Gardening at Winston Prouty.

Food Connects helped new cooking programs get started this school year. The Early Learning Center at Winston Prouty attended the New England Farm to School Institute this past summer with Food Connects FTS Coordinator, Sheila Humphreys, as their coach. With an established school garden, the team has laid a foundation for the next level of Farm to School work, including incorporating local foods onto their menu, Harvest of the Month Taste tests, and building a strong committee to carry the work forward. Through a RiseVT grant received by Food Connects, the team purchased materials for a cooking cart. Not only does the team intend to do more cooking with students, but they’re excited to start processing school-grown produce into homemade baby food and snacks.

A staggered reopening of schools this fall came with its own set of challenges. What we’ve seen from our member schools is that those that leaned the furthest into outdoor education have seen the most success—ie. engaged students, happy teachers, and creative lessons. Food Connects helped schools keep cooking on the menu through specific guidance; stepping into an otherwise empty space, our Cooking with Students during COVID-19 guidelines provided a framework for educators and administrators to confidently establish safe practices around their cooking lessons. And we’ve seen those cooking lessons flourish—whether it be pumpkin pancakes in Guilford, pizzas at Green Street, or fire-roasted sweet potatoes at Academy.

Cooking with students at Academy School.

At Academy School, garden coordinator Kathy Cassin took advantage of a warm fall and large school forest to cook with students. Not only did students cook roasted sweet potatoes in November but Kathy also prepared sweet potato cookies and hummus for students to try. Students at Academy School can expect to see even more outdoor cooking in 2021 thanks to the addition of multiple fire rings purchased through grant funding Food Connects helped secure. These new fire rings will enable more students to be cooking at the same time while also making it safer for students. 

Not only has cooking and nutrition education found a way to continue throughout 2020—but the garden and outdoor kitchen (firepit) have become some of the most popular places to be at school. Most importantly, the sounds of growing taste buds have returned—“I don’t usually like soup, but this is pretty good.”

Summer Garden Reflections 2020

Despite the uncertainty around school this past spring, and even now in the fall, Food Connects Summer Garden Coordinator, Tara Gordon, spent her summer caring for six elementary school gardens in the Windham Southeast School District (WSSD) and welcomed students and families throughout the season. Participating schools were Guilford, Dummerston, Oak Grove, Green Street, Academy, and Vernon. New this year, Food Connects and RiseVT partnered with three local arts organizations to provide free programming alongside the open garden hours. Insight Photography, River Gallery School of Art, and the Human Art of Play were fantastic partners and added a new element of fun to the program! 

This summer garden program was made possible in part thanks to a grant from RiseVT.

Things looked a little different this year—masks, social distancing, and pre-registrations all ensured that students and families stayed safe. Nationwide, there was an uptick in gardeners and a surge in interest in outdoor ed. Our community was lucky enough to have strong garden programs already thriving before the pandemic arrived. This allowed families to stay connected to schools and get outside even after school buildings closed in March. 

As always, the gardens were bountiful and there was plenty of produce for participants to take home at the end of each open garden session. 

Thanks to supplies from Insight Photography, students made cyanotypes. During this activity, students gathered materials from the garden and placed them on light-sensitive paper. The shadow that was then created turned into beautiful art for the students to take home.

Along with Lauren from the River Gallery School of Art, students explored different mediums—such as watercolors—using the garden as their natural subject. 

And Erin from the Human Art of Play got kids moving through circus yoga. Kids (and adults!) channeled their inner sunflower, grew their bodies like vines, and posed like grasshoppers. 

Throughout it all, students were finding new plants and discovering wonder in their school’s gardens. We saw lots of incoming kindergarteners, excited to check out their new school before the first day, and families enjoying the beautiful summer weather. 

Thanks to Tara’s diligent work throughout the season, each school has returned to a beautiful garden—ready for students to harvest fall veggies, incorporate into a science lesson, or just use as a quiet space to read. 

We’re thankful to all of the families who participated, our arts partners, and school administrators who remained flexible as we developed new protocols.

We’d love to hear your stories from the garden this summer or ideas for improvements for next year. Shoot us an email at farmtoschool@foodconnects.org. 

Growing School Gardens!

When schools closed in late March, the Farm to School team—along with everyone else—wasn’t sure what would happen next. We knew teachers were swamped, had overflowing inboxes, and not enough hours in the day—so we took a step back, not wanting to add any more noise to their already loud lives. 

In early April, we began fielding questions from teachers interested in school gardens who were unsure as to how best to maintain them during the outbreak. We connected gardeners with resources (notably the Vermont Community Garden Network) and started meeting virtually with Farm to School teams interested in maintaining their outdoor growing spaces and looking for a concrete project to focus on. 

We saw an opportunity to expand the support Food Connects offered and facilitate planning calls and a community of practice for school garden coordinators. The group was able to visit two school gardens—Academy School in Brattleboro and Westminster Community School—before the buzz of summer took hold. These meetings became spaces for educators from throughout the region to share ideas, troubleshoot obstacles, and brainstorm solutions. 

The coming school year is still cloaked in uncertainty, but—thanks to this group of dedicated educators and growers—students can expect to find bountiful gardens. And who knows, teachers may find these outdoor classrooms a useful alternative for lessons beyond life cycles, nutrition, and garden education.

Food Connects works with schools throughout the region. If you have questions or are interested in joining a Farm to School community of practice, let us know! We hope to be able to host our Regional Fall Gathering, in addition to coordinator calls and more informal gatherings this year.

Thank you, Walker Farm!

Walker Farm in Dummerston is a strong supporter of school gardens in the Windham Southeast Supervisory Union (WSESU), offering credit for supplies at their farm stand to school gardens each spring.

This year Food Connects reached out to Walker Farm on behalf of WSESU school gardens to ask if they would consider donating again this year. Owner Jack Manix responded immediately with an enthusiastic “yes!”, and a willingness to increase support of school gardens this year by 40%! 

On behalf of all the school gardens and Farm to School committees in WSESU, many thanks to Walker Farm for their continued support during these challenging times. The gardens are a source of hope for school communities as schools have navigated through this unusual end of the school year, inspiring us to dream about coming back to school in the fall to harvest with students.

Growing Resilience in Brattleboro

Food Connects is excited to be a part of Brattleboro’s new Growing Resilience campaign! Because Brattleboro’s interest in gardening is sky-high in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have worked to create this campaign to unite us in a shared story. We have collectively-organized tangible gardening support in the form of education, materials, and locations to empower the community’s desire to grow food. To learn more about the campaign, check out GrowingResilience.info. 

We’ll be offering activities throughout the summer through Food Connects’ Summer Garden Program. Learn from Tara Gordon, help care for the school’s gardens, and take home some crops when ready to harvest! For hours, locations, and sign-up information, check out our summer garden program information.

#GrowingResilienceVT

Reenvisioning the Oak Grove School Garden

Tara in the new garden, standing in the heirloom pea patch with Aronia bushes in the foreground.

Big things are happening in the garden at Oak Grove School! As part of a larger project to reimagine the playground, with a focus of creating more opportunities for students to engage in nature-based play, the former garden area will transform into an orchard. An underutilized sunny space adjacent to the playground is now a new, larger garden space for the school community. 

The new garden features a perennial hedge of edible Aronia berries, an entry arbor for vining plants like watermelons and cucumbers, and new beds planted with greens, tomatoes, carrots, beets, beans, peas, flowers, and herbs. Oak Grove’s garden coordinator, Tara Gordon, spent the spring designing and planting at the school. In addition to the orchard and garden, she also updated perennial beds in front of the school with native plants and edibles. Her next project is to create a mushroom garden in another underused space on the north side of the building. 

The new garden with cattle panel garden archway.

The entire school community took part in the design process. Facilities manager, Greg Frost, worked closely with Tara on the project and will install a handwashing station in the garden to make it easier to garden with students in the summer garden program while following COVID-19 health and safety protocols for school gardens.

Planting the Seeds of Success—The Keene Sentinel

We know how important school gardens are for students’ learning and well-being. Our Summer Garden Coordinator, Tara Gordon, and Farm to School Program Manager, Conor Floyd, were recently highlighted in a great Keene Sentinel article on the importance of school gardens and how they can be brought home during COVID-19.

Food Connects Summer Garden Program begins soon!

Beginning June 22, school gardens in the Windham Southeast Supervisory Union will open to families interested in getting outside and into the weeds of gardening! Tara Gordon will return as the garden coordinator—hosting open garden hours at Vernon, Guilford, Green Street, Academy, Oak Grove, and Dummerston Schools. Come help weed, learn from Tara, and possibly take home some veggies!

New this year, Food Connects has partnered with RiseVT, the Insight Photography Project, River Gallery School of Arts, and the Human Art of Play to offer free art activities alongside the garden hours. All materials will be provided and parents are encouraged (although not required) to participate with their kids.

New protocols are in place to ensure the health and safety of everyone—gardeners will need to wear masks, practice physical distancing, refrain from eating in the garden, and use a sign-up form to manage the number of people in the garden at one time. Garden hours and locations, information about the art activities, and the new protocols can all be found at www.foodconnects.org/summer-garden-program. Please note, child care will not be provided and all children must be accompanied by an adult.

Reflection: Summer 2019 Garden Program

Green Street School Garden Coordinator, Tara Gordon, spent her summer working for Food Connects to care for school gardens at 5 area elementary schools in the towns of Brattleboro, Guilford, and Vernon. This summer garden program was made possible in part thanks to a grant from Rise Vermont. Here are a few highlights from Tara’s summer in the gardens:

Teachers from Academy School met with Tara in the spring to orient her to the garden and show her some of the crops they were growing. This included popcorn seedlings donated by Wild Carrot Farm that needed to be hand-pollinated. Throughout the summer, Tara connected with families on the playground while she was working in the garden. School staff helped with watering and harvesting. Funding for school gardens and the supplies needed can be difficult, but Tara reached out to the Brattleboro community and they did not disappoint. She was able to get a bale of straw donated for mulching, needed to combat the weeds and help the garden flourish. Teachers and students are looking forward to harvesting from their beautifully tended garden this fall!

Green Street School had families and neighbors who helped in the garden throughout the summer. The harvest was bountiful over the summer and extra produce was shared with school staff and neighbors. Tara was able to process and save some produce for school year classroom activities as well. Green Street has an ongoing relationship with Yalla Vermont growing and harvesting cilantro, parsley, and calendula for the Yalla kitchen. Because of Tara’s and the Green Street School community’s work this project continued throughout the summer. Tara also tended heirloom peas as part of a project in collaboration with the Brattleboro Words Project. These peas are an early variety which was grown in Brattleboro in the late 1700’s, and seeds from this year’s harvest will be available next year through a seed saving project in collaboration with Brooks Memorial Library!

Guilford Central School has well-established gardens and a great core group of active families who came to the garden throughout the summer to garden and harvest with Tara. Surplus produce from the school garden was brought to the Guilford General Store a couple of times and the school garden was highlighted on the General Store’s menu! Guilford Central School’s Farm to School Coordinator, Sarah Rosow, was a great partner for Tara, with many garden systems already in place, including a well organized tool shed and a clear plan for summer planting.  In addition to her work in the garden, Tara was also able to process some calendula and basil for Sarah to use this fall with her students.

Oak Grove School invited Tara to work in the garden with some classes in the spring to seed and plant, and learn about weeds. The Brattleboro Town School District summer school was based at Oak Grove this year, which allowed Tara to work with students and teachers regularly in the summer. Neighbors also showed support for the garden—in particular, a nice neighbor just across the street donated a bale of hay for mulch. The bulk of the food grown in Oak Grove’s garden will be harvested by students this fall and each class will cook a dish for the annual harvest dinner in October.

At Vernon Elementary School, the river bed soil is very rich and the plants flourished. The primary goal for the garden in Vernon this year was to provide families a space to grow and harvest over the summer, and crops were planted with summer harvesting in mind. Several families worked with Tara throughout the summer, and extra produce was brought to the Vernon pool to share with the community. Next year, this group hopes to have a Vernon School Garden Booth at their 4th of July town festival.

Community building was an essential of Tara’s work this summer. Tara created Facebook groups for each school garden as a tool to reach parents during the summer, and she made colorful flyers to spread the word about her weekly school garden parties.  She also made connections with Edible Brattleboro, a local college student, and several high school students who used community service hours to help her tend these gardens. Many hands made the work a little lighter!

It was incredibly helpful to the schools to have someone care for their gardens and build community in the gardens over the summer, and Food Connects is pleased that we were able to offer this program for the third year in a row. Many thanks to Tara for her hard work tending gardens and building summer garden communities at each school, and a big thank you to Rise Vermont for helping to fund this important and valuable work!

Photos By: Tara Gordon