Green Mountain Farm-to-School (GMFTS) is a leader in the growing farm-to-school movement in Vermont. Our mission is to strengthen local food systems in Vermont by promoting positive economic relationships, education, and access between schools, farms, and communities.
We create and sustain healthy communities by working across the food system with capacity building, resource development, and technical assistance through our Farm-to-School program, Farm Direct food hub, and Lunchbox food truck.
Our Programs
Thank you to our 2025 premier sponsors – The Abbey Group and Community National Bank!
Our work is made possible because of a network of businesses, institutions, organizations and community members who are in partnership with us.
You can view all our supporters here. Interested in becoming a sponsor? Please contact Catherine at ccusack@gmfts.org
Follow Our Story
Looking for something fun to do with the kids this week? Stop by The Lunchbox for nutritious meals, engaging activities, and community spirit!
ALL kids 18 & under eat FREE! Adult meals just $8 (cash/check only)
🕚 Join us from 11 AM – 1 PM at these local spots:
Tuesday @ Leach Public Library, Irasburg
✨ Story Hour + Composting with NEK Waste Management District
Wednesday @ Barton Public Library
🎪 Story Hour + Her Majesty’s Secret Circus Show
Thursday @ Gardner Park, Newport
🌞 Story Hour + summer vibes in the park!
Bring your appetite and your sense of adventure – we can’t wait to see you! 💚
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Over 200 visitors joined us in Gardner Park yesterday for our Summer Block Party! ☀️ Kids enjoyed free pizza & salad supper, milkshakes, and other treats. 🍕🍦They also had a blast in the bouncy castle and trying out the variety of activities offered. It was a beautiful day for a community gathering and we hope everyone who showed up enjoyed themselves! 💛
We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to:
-Our partner organizations/businesses who took part in the event: Old Stone House Museum & Historic Village, Goodrich Memorial Library, Vermont Department of Health - Newport (WIC), North Country Hospital, Northern Counties Healthcare, Hunger Free Vermont, Building Bright Futures, Newport Head Start & Early Head Start, Memphremagog Science & Education Center, Memphremagog Watershed Association, Orleans County Conservation District, New England Dairy, Rooty’s Apple Orchard, Chop’s Farm, Umbrella, Newport City Fire Dept, Newport Downtown Development, NEKCA
-Our business sponsors for helping make the event and our programs possible: The Abbey Group, Barn Angels, Century 21 Farm & Forest, Community National Bank, Concept 2, Donald Dahlin DDS, EastRise Credit Union, Jasper Hill Farm, Jay Peak, NEK Waste Management District, North Country Federal Credit Union, North Country Hospital, The M&T Charitable Foundation, Passumpsic Bank, Taylor-Moore Agency, Vermont Electric Coop, United Ag & Turf
-Our community volunteers from Columbia Forest Products and Newport City Downtown Development
-And Jasper Hill for the generous in-kind cheese donation! 🧀
The Lunchbox is off to a great start! There were lots of happy eaters at Irasburg on Tuesday, despite the intense heat. On Wednesday, we were joined by Early Head Start and Greater Barton Arts, while local artist Jenni Elizabeth Ellis led a wool felting activity.
The Summer Block Party on Thursday was also a great success - but that deserves a post all of its own! Stay tuned, and happy summer. ☀️😎
The Lunchbox is BACK, making weekly stops in Irasburg, Barton, and Newport. You may notice that we’ve made a few changes to the program this year, including adding more vegetarian options to the menu and switching from plastic to paper food containers. These changes were made based on feedback from YOU, our community. Let us know what you think!
This week, we’ll be giving away free seeds and vegetable plant starts for your home garden. Join us from 11am - 1pm at
* Leach Library in Irasburg on Tuesday
* Barton Public Library on Wednesday
And come to the Summer Block Party at Gardner Park (Newport) on Thursday from 3-6pm for a fun-filled evening!
Over the past couple weeks, our AmeriCorps Farm-to-School Coordinators have been busy with students - digging in the dirt, adding compost, and planting seeds & plant starts at 16 schools across the Northeast Kingdom. During All School Planting Days, students were immersed in a variety of hands-on experiences that wove together fundamental skills, such as practicing math by measuring garden plots to exploring the principles of companion planting. 🌱🌱
With the help of community volunteers, our team will continue to care for the school gardens through the summer, so that students will return to bountiful and nutritious learning spaces in the fall.
We are also pleased to share that we secured funds to revitalize garden spaces at Brighton and Orleans Elementary Schools that had been significantly damaged in last summer’s floods. The newly constructed raised garden beds are now breathing new life into the schools, restoring their outdoor learning areas!
Our 8-week summer meals program, The Lunchbox, starts next week! We are excited to kick off the summer with a fun community event - our Summer Block Party! 🎉
Join us for the Summer Block Party next Thursday, June 26th, from 3-6pm, along with Old Stone House Museum & Historic Village, Goodrich Memorial Library, Vermont Department of Health - Newport, North Country Hospital, Hunger Free Vermont, Building Bright Futures, Newport Head Start & Early Head Start, Memphremagog Science & Education Center, Memphremagog Watershed Association, Orleans County Conservation District, New England Dairy, Rooty’s Apple Orchard, and more!
Featuring music, games, resources, and a pizza dinner - FREE for all kids 18 & under.
The Lunchbox will continue to make weekly stops throughout the summer, serving lunch from 11am-1pm at the following locations:
Leach Library in Irasburg on Tuesdays
Barton Public Library on Wednesdays
Gardner Park in Newport on Thursdays
Hope to see you there!
We are thrilled to share the news that GMFTS has won a 2025 New England Food Vision Prize! 🍎
We are being awarded $98,611 over two years to advance local food procurement in northern Vermont schools through food service staff training, expanding food hub routes and inventory, enrolling schools in ongoing purchasing programs, and launching a locally-focused menu photo contest. Our primary partners for this project are Orleans Central Supervisory Union and NOFA-VT.
Congratulations to the other prize winners 👏 @foodconnectsvt @acornfoodnetwork @intervalecentervt @nofavermont @commonwealthkitchenboston @cultivatingcommunitymaine @growing_places @coopdevinst @farmsforfoodequity @tuftsuniversity / @newentrysustainablefarming
Wolcott Public Schools
Prizes are awarded to projects that build resilience, relationships, and capacity within New England’s academic institutional food supply chain, resulting in increased preparation, sourcing, serving, or use and consumption of local and regional food at K-12 schools and higher education institutions.
Learn more about the prize and projects here:
kendall.org/june2025winners
#nefoodvision
Irasburg’s Creek Valley Farm offers three distinct types of cheese: gouda, farmstead, and caerphilly, each possessing an undeniably delicious flavor. The secret to their top-tier cheese starts with the cows—pasture-raised and well-cared for, their jerseys live the best life possible. In fact, most of the cows on their farm come from the same matriarch who has been tended to for years. Whichever flavor you choose, Creek Valley’s cheeses deserve a special spot on your cheese board. 🧀
You can find Creek Valley cheeses at Green Mountain Natural Foods, @thegennyvt , @therootsfarmmarket , and other small retailers throughout the Northeast Kingdom. Learn more at: creekvalleyfarmvt.com
“Funding for creating a sustainable local food system was made possible in part with a Rural Business Development Grant from USDA Rural Development.”
