VAAFM Grant Highlights, 2016-2024

For over 15 years, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) has managed a competitive grant for Farm to School programming in Vermont schools and early childhood education settings. The Farm to School and Early Childhood (FTSEC) Capacity Building Grant, which will be accepting applications from October 3 - November 14, 2024, is an excellent source of funding for building or breathing new life into Farm to School and Early Childhood programs. The FTSEC Capacity Building Grant includes both financial assistance and technical assistance - this combination is what makes the grant so impactful.

Grant amounts vary slightly year by year, but they are typically in the $5,000 to $20,000 range for the 18-month grant period, depending on the size of your program. In addition to the financial award, each grantee receives free coaching and technical assistance to help their school or early childhood program build or expand their FTSEC programs (including expert assistance to grow school gardens, integrate agricultural education into classroom curriculum, expand meal programs, and procure local food from VT producers).   

If your school or early childhood education (ECE) program has yet to apply for this grant, or if it has been many years since you applied, we recommend applying this fall. If you are a Food Connects member school, please reach out to your coach and we would be happy to assist you with your application.

These grants have been transforming the lives of young people in Windham County and around our state for many years. Here’s a summary of some of the schools and early childhood programs in our region that have received FTSEC Capacity Building Grant funding in the past:

Oak Grove Garden Coordinator Katrina Moore prepares new raised beds.

2024-2025 (in process): Oak Grove School just built a new garden and plans to do cooking activities with local produce in all classrooms this school year.

2023-2024: Windham Early Childhood Educators Cooperative members (more than 25 ECE programs in Windham County) improved gardens with materials for raised beds, soil, plants, and seeds. They created a Farm to ECE guide with activities and recipes contributed by their members. They worked with local master gardeners to improve their gardens, and they purchased curriculum materials, and cooking and gardening supplies to share among their programs via an equipment lending program associated with the Early Learning Express Bookmobile.

Central Elementary staff and students working on their raised beds.

2023 -2024: Central Elementary School purchased garden supplies and supported school nutrition site manager Erica Frank to maintain the school gardens during the summer.

2023-2024: Academy School hired local landscape architect Adam Hubbard of Hubbard Land Design to create a long-term plan for their garden. They also purchased new, stainless steel raised beds, grow labs for indoor growing in classrooms, and a garden shed.

2022-2023: Dummerston School built new raised beds adjacent to the playground so students can garden and graze during recess. They also purchased soil, indoor grow labs, and an evaporator to start a maple sugaring program.

New oven at Winston Prouty’s Early Learning Center.

2022-2023: Winston Prouty’s Early Learning Center purchased a new, commercial stove for their kitchen, bought a garden cart, and funded a 5-hour per week garden coordinator position.

2020-2021: Westminster Center School & Grafton Elementary School created an outdoor kitchen, purchased a cooking cart and grow labs, and started raising chickens.

2018-2019: Riverside Middle School launched an on-site composting program, purchased kitchen equipment, and developed a middle school curriculum to accompany their on-site composting program.

2018-2019: Newbrook Elementary School built an outdoor pizza oven, hired a part-time garden coordinator, funded Vermont Harvest of the Month (HOM) taste tests, and created a Ladder of Responsibility for their Farm to School program.

2016-2017: Putney Central School purchased kitchen equipment, gardening supplies and equipment, and funded HOM taste tests.

We’re so grateful to the State of Vermont for fully funding this grant program. It has brought over 1.9 million dollars of FTSEC grant money to Vermont schools and ECE programs since its inception in 2007. Thank you to Becca Balint, Molly Burke, Nadir Hashim, Wendy Harrison,  Emilie Kornheiser, Tristen Toleno and all the other Vermont senators and representatives throughout the state who supported this crucial source of funding for healthy school communities in our rural state.

Farm to School in Deerfield Valley

The school gardens at Twin Valley Middle High School continue to flourish under the care of the students and support from High School science teacher Sarah Grant. The garden program at the Deerfield Valley school started over ten years ago when it was the Whitingham Elementary/Middle School. When the Middle High School formed in 2014, construction unfortunately destroyed most of the gardens. One garden bed from that time remains.

In this new era, Sarah has been adding to that original garden bed, with generous support from Food Connects Farm to School donor, Sarah Shippee. In the 2020 - 2021 school year, they started with building a greenhouse and raised beds. This summer students took care of the garden, coming every day to water and weed. They were able to harvest vegetables several times, delivering them to Foodworks in Brattleboro and sharing them with the school community. 

This fall the Community School, a program that serves students with developmental disabilities, will join the garden project, under the leadership of Alison Kelly. With Shippee’s support this year, Sarah and Alison are planning to buy some tools and plant starting supplies and build more beds. They plan to give away plant starts in the spring, something they do each year. 

Garden Coordinator 'Cross-Pollination' Summer Gathering

Our recent Cross-Pollination Summer Gathering event was ”'buzzing with ideas!” Garden Coordinators from around Windham County met this summer at the Winston Prouty Early Learning Center’s (ELC) garden to connect and collaborate.

The event, led by Farm to School (FTS) Coach Sheila Humphreys and FTS Program coordinator Kris Nelson, began by modeling a fun, inclusive icebreaker that can be used with students using Vermont Harvest of the Month (HOM) cards where participants matched their cards with others and shared their favorite Vermont Harvest of the Month, responding to the following prompts:

  • Why do you like it? What is your favorite thing about this item?

  • Do you have a favorite recipe?

  • Does this item have any special significance to you?

This icebreaker activity and the HOM cards were created by Sheila and Jennifer Trapani, Food Science Coordinator for Burlington School District for a workshop titled, “The Roots of Inclusive Classroom Cooking: Making Harvest of the Month Accessible and Engaging to All,” which they led in June at the Northeast Farm to School Institute. 

This was followed by a productive session where attendees addressed various “thorny” gardening questions, ranging from foraging wild edibles like rose hips and sorrel to challenges like pest control, particularly squash beetles and jumping worms.

Participants also spent hands-on time helping the ELC Garden Coordinator Nora Harrington weed the garden, managing errant mint, lemon balm, and sorrel. Weeding was followed by a group discussion on upcoming school year projects, including fundraisers, soil improvement, and craft projects with students. 

The event concluded with Sheila distributing valuable resources from the Vermont Garden Network, Vermont Harvest of the Month, and Kid’s Gardening, while a brief summer downpour refreshed the garden and provided a beautiful rainbow across Mount Wantastiquet.  It was the perfect end to a summer afternoon in the garden!

Our Farm to School team looks forward to making these gatherings a regular occurrence during the 2024-2025 school year! Stay tuned as we follow the garden coordinators through the upcoming year with stories of how they accomplish their many projects.

FTS Year in Review: Highlights, Hurdles, and Hopes

Check out this behind-the-scenes look at the Farm to School program as Farm to School Manager Kris Nelson and Farm to School Coach Sheila Humphreys reflect on the past academic year. In this video, they share standout moments, the biggest challenges they faced, and valuable takeaways they plan to carry forward. Discover what excites them most about the future and get a glimpse of new ideas they’re eager to introduce. Tune in for an inspiring review of our year’s highlights, hurdles, and hopes for the future of Farm to School!

2023-2024 Farm to School Impact Report Now Out!

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.

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

2nd grade students at Oak Grove interview Farm to School Coach 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.

List of questions students asked during the interview.

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.