Each year, we compile a report spotlighting Farm to School classroom, cafeteria, and community activities from the most recent academic year. Click the button below to read our latest report.
Farm to School Newsletter - August
Pickling at Winston Prouty
On Friday, August 2nd, volunteers from Food Connects joined staff at The Winston Prouty Center to prepare donated cucumbers for their annual Prouty Pickling Fundraiser. Present were Kris Nelson, Farm to School Program Manager; Sheila Humphreys, Farm to School Coach; and Elyse Morckel, Marketing Coordinator. They teamed up with Winston Prouty staff, led by Sueno LeBlond, for a fun-filled morning of pickling.
Sueno, who serves as an Early Childhood Outreach Specialist and Early Learning Express Bookmobile Librarian, led the volunteers with infectious joy and energy. This year marked her debut as the lead for the fundraiser, taking over from Nancy McMahon. Back in 2018, Nancy, then an Infant Childcare Specialist, was concerned about the quality of food for young children. Alongside Child & Adult Care Food Program Specialist Kristy Rose, they developed a garden space at the center. After attending a Farm to Early Childhood Education workshop at Shelburne Farms on the art of pickling, the team decided to put their new skills to use by planting a large number of cucumbers for pickle making. This initial effort gave rise to Prouty’s Pickles, aimed at funding garden upkeep for the years to come.
In addition to their pickle fundraiser, in 2021 they were awarded a $1,000 VT Farm to Early Care Grant for gardening supplies and kitchen equipment. The following year, they received a $10,000 VT Farm to Early Care Grant, which funded upgrades of kitchen appliances including a new oven, to support the preparation of nutritious food for about 50 children daily. With this grant, the center also acquired additional gardening supplies & kitchen tools, including improved irrigation, fencing, grow lights, an apple grinder, a tabletop cider press, canning equipment, and a portable cooking cart for classroom cooking demonstrations.
There was no shortage of cucumbers for the volunteers to process; nearly 100 pounds of donated cucumbers came from Wild Carrot Farm (Brattleboro, VT), Pete's Farm Stand (Walpole, NH), and Upinngil Farm (Gill, MA). Local growers' contributions have helped the fundraiser expand beyond the capacity of the center's garden space. The whole group embraced a spirit of camaraderie and creativity as they worked together to find the most efficient ways to complete the day's tasks. Sheila prepared the pickling brine while Kris and Elyse joined Paula Schwartz, Development Assistant and Farm to School Team member, to wash and cut the cucumbers. At the same time, Nora Harrington, Assistant Teacher and Farm to School Team member, guided preschool students in preparing their own pickles, giving them hands-on experience and encouraging their excitement for trying the finished product. The morning activities brought joy and laughter not just to the kids but to Kris and Elyse who playfully dubbed themselves “the pickle people”.
In addition to the local growers and Food Connects staff, the fundraiser team thanks Honor Woodrow, ELC Director; Community Based Services staff Don Freeman, Nancy McMahon, Stephanie O'Brien, and Heather Sullivan for their volunteer support. Together, they produced 82 jars of pickles, which will be sold at an upcoming fundraiser later this month. All proceeds will benefit the Farm to Early Education Program, helping with supplies like seeds, hay, and equipment. Stay tuned for the final announcement on when the pickles will be available for purchase by following The Winston Prouty Center on Instagram and Facebook!
Meet Kelsy, Academy's New Garden Coordinator!
This summer Kathy Cassin, Garden Coordinator at Academy School since 2020, is handing over the trowel to Academy’s new garden coordinator, Kelsy Allan.
Kelsy comes to Academy from the Garland School in Brattleboro, where she taught in the forest preschool for 4-6 year olds. While at the Garland School, Kelsy involved students in all aspects of gardening, leading outdoor cooking activities with students, maintaining the school garden and greenhouse, and integrating wild edibles into art - and eating - projects. On a more personal note, Kelsy lives in an off-grid house and does much of her cooking on a grill and over fires. We’re so excited to offer our warm welcome to Kelsy as she joins the staff at Academy.
Kelsy will continue the terrific Farm to School (FTS) and Harvest of the Month (HOM) programming that Kathy has nurtured during her time as the Garden Coordinator at Academy. As a veteran teacher, one of Kathy’s strong points is the creative ways in which she has brought FTS activities to life in the classroom, both indoors and outdoors. Planting potatoes with Kindergarteners in the spring, which students dig up in the fall to use in Stone Soup; introducing students to beet pancakes; teaching life skills through collaborative cooking activities; helping to plan a feast using all the parts of a plant. In each case, Kathy works with the teacher to design an activity that reinforces the learning objectives of the lesson. Under Kathy’s creative and flexible approach, teachers across all grade levels have become more invested in the program.
Additionally, with Kathy’s and FTS Coach Sheila Humphrey’s teamwork, the FTS team at Academy recently secured grants from Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets and Blue Cross Blue Shield. With support from these funds, and under Principal Kelly Dias’ leadership, the school has hired landscape designer Adam Hubbard to design Academy’s multi-use outdoor learning area, including raised beds, a pavilion, and shade trees. The team also plans to make a new map of the outdoor area, and its uses, to post in the teachers’ room. Kelsy might be stepping into big shoes, but she has the support of a committed team.
Later this month, the Farm to School program will hold a gathering at Winston Prouty Early Learning Center with Garden Coordinators from across our member schools and programs. The group will welcome Kelsy, as well as Oak Grove’s new Garden Coordinator, Katrina Moore (also featured in this issue). Garden Coordinators will be sharing their expertise and resources, making plans for their schools for the coming year, and probably eating something yummy. More on that in the next newsletter.
New Raised Beds at Oak Grove!
On a sunny July morning, Food Connects’ Donnie and Elyse joined Katrina Moore, the Farm to School Garden Coordinator at Oak Grove School, to prepare raised beds for the upcoming academic year. The raised beds were recently built by Snow & Sons Landscaping thanks to Oak Grove’s Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) Farm to School and Early Childhood Capacity Building Grant.
Before their arrival, Katrina had been hard at work. She had filled the bottom of the beds with river rock for drainage, topsoil, and ‘Brattlegrow’ compost donated generously by Windham Solid Waste District, made from local food scraps. These compost bags, usually priced at $8 each, provide essential nutrients for the plants. During the school year, students will continue to feed the soil by making compost from collected food scraps.
While they worked, Katrina explained her choice of plants, selecting resilient varieties like Amaranth, which is known for its heat tolerance. Given Vermont's changing climate due to global warming, Katrina emphasized the importance of learning from the agricultural practices of warmer regions. The Amaranth and other plants will feature in craft activities for students during the school year including making clothing-dyes from plants. Additionally, Katrina transplanted a bottle gourd plant from her home garden, envisioning future projects where students could use mature gourds as vessels or birdhouses.
As they constructed a trellis for the gourd to climb, Katrina noted her anticipation in working with Oak Grove students. Inspired by ethnobotanist Feather Smith, Katrina plans to introduce students to indigenous seed practices such as saving and preserving heirloom seed species. To illustrate, Katrina displayed and planted heirloom Seneca sunflower and Walpole Island corn seeds donated from Gedakina, a Native American publishing and cultural group based in Maine with satellite groups across the Northeast, including Brattleboro.
Katrina's enthusiasm and dedication make her an excellent addition to the Oak Grove community, and Donnie and Elyse can’t wait for their next opportunity to lend her a hand in what she does next!
Oak Grove Students Interview Sheila Humphreys
As the school year drew to a close, 2nd grade students at Oak Grove School had the chance to interview five people for their classroom paper, The Second Grade Gazette. These individuals were dubbed Important Community Helpers and Food Connects Farm to School coach Sheila Humphreys was one of those selected.
Other interviewees included Peter Miller, owner of Miller Farms in Vernon VT, Executive Director of Groundworks Collaborative Libby Bennet, Brattleboro Fire Chief Lenny Howard III, Officer Ryan Washburn of the Brattleboro Police Department, and Mary Kaufmann, Principal at Oak Grove School. Each person was selected because they were seen as a positive impact to the school and the local community, in their chosen field of work.
A panel of three young reporters posed questions which they worked on as a class to Sheila ranging from “What do you do in your job?” to “Why do you do what you do?” Students took turns posing follow up questions, and learned how to conduct interviews under the guidance of their classroom teacher. Each student then summarized the information they collected in paragraph length articles that were included in the final publication.
Reporter One wrote: “She encourages schools to buy local food and helps provide students with healthy fruits and vegetables.”
Reporter Two noted: “Humphreys likes knowing she is eating healthy food grown locally and enjoys making that available to students.”
Reporter Three concluded their article by stating: “This is her dream job because she gets to help people and loves gardening. She works to make school meals as healthy and tasty as possible. Humphreys is an important person in our community.”
This project allowed students to have a better understanding of the skills and knowledge needed to be successful in the role that Sheila plays in their school community.
Thanks to the intrepid young reporters who interviewed Sheila for their Important Community Helper articles, we appreciate your recognition of her work to bring food and gardening education into the classrooms at Oak Grove.
Farm to School Newsletter - July
Farm to School Goes to the 14th Annual Northeast Farm to School Institute (NEFTSI)
The 14th annual Northeast Farm to School Institute was held at Shelburne Farms, on the beautiful shores of Lake Champlain, from June 25-27. For the first time in Southeastern Vermont, 2 district-wide teams attended the Institute, along with 9 other teams from throughout the Northeastern region, including Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. The three-day Institute launches a year-long program, providing participating teams with coaching, technical expertise, professional development, and other resources.
Food Connects FTS Coach Sheila Humphreys coached a team from Windham Southeast Supervisory Union and FTS Program Manager Kris Nelson coached the West River Modified Union Education District team. The district teams represented multiple schools, including teachers, school board members, administrators, garden coordinators, school nurses, food service managers, and behavioral social workers. Over the course of three days, each team collaboratively crafted a values statement and set goals for their Farm to School action plan.
Both teams focused on community empowerment through education and supporting wellness via local, nourishing foods. Team goals include increasing local food purchasing in meal programs to 15% to qualify for the Local Foods Incentive Grant program, enhancing the cafeteria experience through innovative programs like Harvest of the Month Taste Tests, and developing a continuity of Farm to School learning objectives spanning pre-K to 12th grade. Back home, having down this groundwork, each district team will expand to include additional members to refine and carry out the work.
In addition to precious time away from the everyday structure of the school day to do some focused planning around FTS goals, the institute is also an opportunity to be inspired by others who are making a difference in Farm, Food, and Nutrition education. Participants got to choose workshops and learning journeys ranging from FTS basics like “Planning a School Garden,” led by Cedar Schiewetz of the Vermont Garden Network to “Recipes for Resilience,” by TEDx speaker, Food Activist, and Chef Liesha McKinley-Barnett of the Edible Schoolyard Project in Berkeley and Stockton, California. FTS coach Sheila Humphreys co-led a workshop with Jen Trapani, Food Science Coordinator of the Burlington School District, titled, “The Roots of Inclusive Classroom Cooking: Making Harvest of the Month Accessible and Engaging to All.” Keynote speakers included veteran Vermont Independent Food Service Directors Laura LaVacca from the Burlington School District and Kathy Alexander from Mount Abraham & Addison Northwest School Districts leading participants in a homemade board game designed to pull back the curtain on school food, and an inspiring storytelling keynote by Ferene Paris Meyer of All Heart Inspiration who reminded us that, “We all have stories worth sharing, so what’s yours?”
One of the best parts of the institute is the connections that participants make outside of workshop and action planning time, when they are able to relax together and get to know each other while enjoying the English gardens and beautiful sunsets over the lake on the lawn in front of the historic Inn at Shelburne Farms. These casual conversations are the building blocks that make a strong team that is resilient and able to meet challenges during the busy school year.
The meals are always a highlight at the institute as well, featuring recipes from the New School Cuisine Cookbook, which was created by Vermont School Nutrition Professionals for Vermont School Nutrition Professionals and includes 78 kid-tested and approved recipes that meet the new USDA dietary guidelines and feature local, seasonal foods. This year we enjoyed several delicious dishes including Sweet Potato and Black Bean Salad, Root Vegetable Hash, Tumeric Cauliflower Salad, and Pumpkin Squares. There was also a sweet treat when the Sisters of Anarchy Ice Cream Truck set up in the courtyard after dinner.
As the Institute was wrapping up, our colleagues from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets announced that all Vermont teams attending the Institute in 2024-2025 would receive a $4,000 grant to help them implement the goals from their action plans.
We’re so grateful to the State of Vermont for their strong support of Farm to School and we can’t wait to see how the work of these 2 dynamic district-wide teams in Southeastern Vermont unfolds this year!
Free Summer Meal Kit Information
Students across our region can access free meal kits throughout the summer. WNESU School Nutrition Manager Harley Sterling and WRED Food Service Manager Jake Gallogly have been hard at work putting together healthy, fresh meals for kids in Windham county and as far east as Keene Middle School, NH.
Find a pick-up location near you below:
Windham Southeast Supervisory Union (WSESU) meal kits feature 5 frozen and heat lunches and shelf stable breakfasts and are available to any household with children under 18 who live in the district. Find WSESU meal kits every Wednesday at the following locations:
Brattleboro Area Middle School, 10:30-11:30 am.
Brooks Public Library 12:00-1:00 pm.
Putney Pool 12:00-1:00 pm.
For more info, email summermeals@wsesdvt.org
Use this form to find more information and to sign up for meals.
Keene Middle School meal kits include 7 days’ worth of breakfast and lunch items, available to children 18 and younger from any town.
Pick-up location: Keene Middle School
Every Friday from 1:00 - 3:00 pm until August 23rd.
Supported by Keene Middle School, Windham Northeast Supervisory Union's Farm to School Cafe & New Hampshire Food Bank.
Sign up online with this google form.
Windham Northeast Supervisory Union Meal kits include bulk and ready-to-eat items equal to 7 days of breakfast and lunch for one child. These meals are available to any household with children under 18 who live within the boundaries of WNESU.
Pick-up location: Bellows Falls Union High School every Wednesday from 1:00 - 3:30 pm.
Supported by Windham Northeast Supervisory Union's Farm to School Cafe
Visit the Farm to School Cafe website for more information and to sign up for meals.
West River School District Meal Kits contain 7 days' worth of breakfast & lunch, and are available to anyone under the age of 18 regardless of enrollment.
Pick-up Locations: Leland & Gray or Jamaica Elementary School : every Thursday from 3:00 - 6:00 pm, starting July 11th through August 15th. Supported by West River Education District.
Parent/Guardian or child must be present.
Questions or concerns email Jake at jgallogly@windhamcentral.org
Summer EBT, Summer Meals, and new Outreach Materials from Hunger Free Vermont
Summer EBT:
This summer, Vermont announced a new program called Summer EBT. Summer EBT helps families get groceries during the summer break when school meals aren't available. For families who qualify, they will get $120 per eligible child as a one-time benefit to use at 600+ grocery stores and 30+ farmers markets.
Check out the state's Summer EBT website and view a recording of a brief, informal Summer EBT info session with the state here.
Questions? Email Tim Morgan (tmorgan@hungerfreevt.org) and Ivy Enoch (ienoch@hungerfreevt.org).
Summer Meals for All (ages 0-18):
Thanks to Universal School Meals and other program changes, there are many new sites all over Vermont giving out meals this year! Sites operate differently depending on their area: some sites serve breakfast and lunch, others may give away several days worth of meals at once, and some might even deliver meals.
Here is a hyperlink to the *2024* Summer Meal Site spreadsheet (which is currently accessible on Hunger Free VT's homepage), this is a cumulative list of all the Summer Meal Sites in the state with their operating days/times. It is updated as sites open/close and includes the site(s) location/days/hours of operation, and important site notes & details. Some sites have a parent pick-up option so please check site(s) details to find out if this is an option for you in your area
For future reference, you can find this site list each summer on Hunger Free VT's website under the tab Resources> Child Nutrition Hub > Summer Meals. If you're new to the program, here is a presentation that tells you all about Summer Meals.
A *new* project we've been working on alongside the Vermont Language Justice Project are translated videos with information about Summer Meals across the state. You can find these videos in the link(s) provided below or on the Vermont Language Justice Project's YoutTube page *Digital* Translated Summer Meals Outreach Videos on YouTube
· Languages provided:
o Arabic
o Burmese
o Dari
o English
o French
o Kirundi
o Mandarin
o Nepali
o Pashto
o Spanish
o Somali
o Swahili
o Tigrinya
Food Resources for All *Summer 2024 edition*
Lastly, if you’d like to share, use this Food Resources for All '24 Summer Edition, flyer which contains up to date info on current food programs and community food resources for all and any who need them across the state, because no one should have to worry about having enough food.
Farm to School goes to NEFTSI
Photos by Sarah Webb.
The West River Education District and Windham Southeast Supervisory Union were selected to participate in the 2024 Northeast Farm to School Institute (NEFTSI).
This year-long professional development program, organized by Vermont FEED, empowers teams comprised of educators, food service professionals, administrators, and community members to enhance their Farm to School programs through engaging speakers, hands-on workshops, and personalized coaching.
The West River Education District team, representing Leland and Gray Union Middle and High School, NewBrook Elementary School, Townshend Elementary School, Jamaica Village School, and Windham Elementary School, aims to develop a district-wide Farm to School plan to integrate Farm to School principles throughout their students’ educational journey.
These teams joined other participants from New England and New York, hosted at Shelburne Farms in Shelburne, Vermont. Throughout the session, they delved into diverse topics, including fostering connections to the food system through gardening and composting and promoting equity within Farm to School initiatives.
Learn more about what these teams engaged in by reading a recap of the 2022 program.