As a nonprofit serving Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom region and beyond, Green Mountain Farm-to-School works to strengthen our local food systems and increase equitable access to local foods.
Who We Serve
Farms
We help Vermont farms and food businesses grow by connecting them with local buyers, from schools to co-ops. At the same time, we provide targeted marketing and sales support.
60 farm and food business partners
Schools
We connect students to food through hands-on farm-to-school programs in Northeast Kingdom schools, including cooking, gardening, and farm field trips. We also help schools across Northern and Central Vermont buy more from nearby farms and improve the quality of school meals.
17 school partners for educational programming
75 school partners for local food distribution
Communities
We bring people together around food through hands-on workshops and shared meals across the Northeast Kingdom, building skills, strengthening community, and learning by doing. We also expand access to local food by connecting farms with stores, schools, and community food programs.
11 towns served by community programming
83 towns in our local food distribution network
It’s the season of abundance! The 13 school gardens we care for are bursting with fresh fruits and vegetables. 🥬🥒
Throughout the summer, much of the harvest is donated to The Lunchbox summer meal program and shared with families through our Market Basket table, helping connect the community with fresh, local food.
Our AmeriCorps Farm-to-School Coordinators, along with community volunteers, have worked hard to grow thriving gardens that will continue producing into the fall. When students return to school, they’ll have the opportunity to harvest the late-summer and fall crops, using them for hands-on learning in the classroom and fresh meals in the cafeteria.
There is so much fun in store at The Lunchbox this week! 🚲🎨
Ditch the training wheels and learn how to ride a bike with Ticket to Ride in Irasburg on Tuesday. In Barton, learn the power of doodling with Ilene Fox. Stop by the activity table to do some rock painting, and, as always, take home some fresh vegetables from the Market Basket! 🥬🍅
Visit us from 11 am-1 pm at the following locations:
Tuesdays at Leach Public Library, Irasburg
Wednesdays at Barton Public Library
Thursdays at Gardner Park in Newport
With just two weeks left of The Lunchbox, we’d love to hear about your program experience. If you visited us this summer, we’d appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to complete our anonymous survey. Link in bio.
We were so lucky to have the greatest show in town join us at The Lunchbox this week! Thank you to the @CircusSmirkus Summer Roadshow for putting on a fantastic show full of good energy and fun tricks for us. 🎪
In addition to all the circus fun, we were proud to provide oodles and oodles of fresh summer vegetables through the Market Basket table! Families took home cucumbers, tomatoes, kale, eggplants, Swiss chard, Italian zucchini, and more to make delicious home-cooked meals. 🥬🍅
We can’t wait to see you next week with even more yummy veggies, nutritious free meals, and fun activities!
@fourtownlowlines has been an incredible partner in our mission to make first-rate, local food accessible and affordable for Vermonters. For two years, Four Town Lowlines has provided monthly ground beef to the @mealsonwheelslc program, which incorporates the product in delicious red sauces and meatloaf recipes. Patrons love the quality and flavor.
Learn more about the Vermont-Grazed, 100% Grass-Fed Beef, Pork & Chicken available from Four Town Lowlines at fourtownlowlines.com
Funding for creating a sustainable local food system was made possible in part with a Rural Business Development Grant from USDA Rural Development.
The big top is coming to town! The @circussmirkus Summer Roadshow will be joining The Lunchbox program each day this week. You bring the excitement, Circus Smirkus will provide the show, and of course, we’ll take care of the food! 🎪🍕
The show starts at 11:30am; you won’t want to miss it!
Come see us from 11am -1pm at the following locations:
Tuesdays at Leach Public Library, Irasburg
Wednesdays at Barton Public Library
Thursdays at Gardner Park in Newport
What a great week we had at The Lunchbox! So many kids (and some adventurous adults) enjoyed making delicious milkshakes on our smoothie bike. We loved seeing all of the fantastic milk moustaches!
Summer veggie season is in full swing here in the Northeast Kingdom. We’re proud to report that our Market Basket table has been overflowing recently! Thank you to the school gardens and @salvationfarmsvt for contributing an abundance of beautiful, local fruits and vegetables for families to take home free of charge.
See you next week for more fun, good food, and community!
Get ready for another awesome week at The Lunchbox! Come make some delicious milkshakes with us on our smoothie bike. Meet local author Stephanie Thomas during story time and pick up free books for summer reading provided by Everyone Wins! in Barton. In Newport, learn about bats with “The Butterfly Man”, Jerry Schnieder!
Don’t miss out on the fun this week!
Come see us from 11 am-1 pm at the following locations:
Tuesdays at Leach Public Library, Irasburg
Wednesdays at Barton Public Library
Thursdays at Gardner Park in Newport
It was a wonderful week at The Lunchbox, especially because it was our first week with our food truck back in action! Kids learned how to make quick pickles using a simple and tasty recipe. We’re happy to report that many tried new flavors like fennel and pickling spice. It was fantastic to see that the majority of chefs thought their recipes were delicious! 🥒
A big thank you to our community partners for helping make this week at The Lunchbox even more special! In Irasburg, @healthvermont distributed free bike helmets and shared important summer safety tips. In Barton, Everybody Wins! Vermont gifted children free books to encourage summer reading. In Newport, every child had the opportunity to take home free books thanks to the @clifonline 📚
Join us next week for more fun activities and good food! We’d love to see you there. 🍎
Thanks to our generous lead sponsors!
