Farm to School

School nutrition professionals prepare vegetable wraps.

We are working to support thriving Farm to School and Early Childhood (FTSEC) programs in every Vermont community. We do this by helping to forge strong connections between the cafeteria, the classroom, and the community. We have been working with schools and early childhood programs for over twenty years to support values-based procurement of local and regional foods. Since 2000, we have partnered with Shelburne Farms to coordinate our statewide farm to school project, Vermont FEED, which focuses on advancing FTSEC by delivering high-quality professional learning and technical assistance to educators, administrators, child nutrition professionals, and farmers.

Logo for Vermont FEED showing icons of a hand holding seeds, a garden tool, and apple, and a bowl. It also reads "A farm to school project of NOFA-VT and Shelburne Farms"

As partners in Vermont FEED, we offer an extensive array of free resources, and various professional learning opportunities, such as the Northeast Farm to School Institute. We also coordinate the Vermont Farm to School and Early Childhood Network, and advocate for public policies and investments at the State and Federal levels that will advance the Farm to School and Early Childhood movement.

School nutrition professionals talk with a farmer out in a field.

NOFA-VT’s Farm to School team is available to provide technical assistance to school districts and supervisory unions to take advantage of Vermont’s Local Foods Incentive grant program, which was established in 2021, and provides a direct financial incentive to school districts and supervisory unions that meet local purchasing targets in their school meal programs, allowing them to serve more fresh Vermont food on their menus.

 

Learn more at VTFEED.org

Questions? Contact Helen Rortvedt via email or at (802) 434-4122.

watercolor of a phone