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
“Turn out” on Saturday, May 2nd for the most exciting day of the year for our friends at The Larson Farm and Creamery: Turn Out Day! After a long, cold winter, this joyous occasion marks the day that the grass has grown tall enough to let the cows out of the barn and into their pasture to graze for the next six months or so.
Rich Larson paints a vivid picture: “They are a sight to see, running awkwardly down the road, but once in the field, all attention is given to eating as much and as quickly as they can. They are so happy to be outside eating fresh grass. We give them relatively small sections of pasture, and move them to fresh grass 2 or 3 times a day.”
The Larson family invites you to join them on their farm in Wells, VT on Saturday, May 2nd at 1:00pm (rain or shine!) to spectate these bounding bovines as they are released from the barn and reunited with their beloved fresh grass. They encourage guests to “bring a picnic lunch, sit on the hill, and enjoy the sight.” To round out a spectacular day, there will also be a tour of the barn and creamery after the turn out.
If you can’t make it, you can find delicious Larson Creamery products at Bread and Butter Farm in Shelburne, Rutland Co-op, and more locations throughout Vermont.
Our middle school cooking program has found its way to Charleston Elementary School, where students are cooking up a storm for their school community and beyond! Our first couple of weeks together have focused on cultivating knife skills and different techniques for cutting vegetables. 🥕🥔🥦
Using local produce gleaned by @salvationfarmsvt , students have made mashed potatoes and gravy, maple-glazed carrots, and chicken & broccoli pasta alfredo. To date, this group has donated 60 meals to fellow students, teachers, and the Vermont Department of Health - Newport.
🌱 Join us for a Kids Seed Starting Workshop on Tuesday, April 28th from 10 AM–12 PM at Westmore Cottage. This fun, hands-on session led by GMFTS will give young growers everything they need to plant their own seeds and learn how things grow.
All materials are provided, plus light snacks—just bring a lunch and stick around for a picnic! 🧺
For questions and more info, please reach out to Meggie at mpatton@gmfts.org
It’s seed starting season! 🌱This week, we started pumpkin seeds at Barton Academy and Graded School. In the coming weeks, fourth graders will water and care for their seedlings as they sprout in the grow lab. Soon, the whole school will be able to work together to plant the garden on All School Planting Day!
As maple season wraps up, we’re excited to share some highlights from our farm field trips to local sugarbushes! A huge thank you to Couture’s Sugar House for welcoming students from Lowell Graded School and Newport City Elementary for their fantastic experiences. We also want to give a big shout-out to Fradette’s Sugar House for hosting an engaging field trip for Craftsbury Elementary School.
The students had a wonderful time learning from the sugarmakers about the incredible process of turning maple tree sap into delicious syrup. At the sugar houses, they also enjoyed the delightful Vermont tradition of sugar on snow. It was a sweet way to conclude the season! 🍁
🌱 Looking to grow your career while making a real impact? We’re now recruiting for our 2026–2027 AmeriCorps Farm-to-School Coordinator positions!
If you’re passionate about:
- Gardening and cooking
- Working with kids
- Hands-on education
- Supporting local food systems
…this could be the perfect opportunity for you! ✨
As a Farm-to-School Coordinator, you’ll help develop, lead, and evaluate engaging programs that connect students to local food and agriculture—while serving the community and gaining valuable professional experience.
- Spend the year in Vermont’s beautiful Northeast Kingdom
- Term: August 17th, 2026 – August 6th, 2027
- Full-time AmeriCorps service position
This is a great way to launch your career, build skills, and make a difference. Link in bio to learn more and apply! ✅
We are seeking a volunteer to prune two apple trees at the Jay Westfield Joint Elementary School. Do you know how to prune fruit trees and want to lend a hand at the school to support our farm-to-school program there?
Please reach out to our Farm-to-School Program Manager, Elyse Perambo, at eperambo@gmfts.org
And please share this post to help us find someone!
The @vtharvestofthemonth for April is WHOLE GRAINS! We’re proud to work with Morningstar Farm to provide high-quality whole grain products to our customers, including a variety of grains, beans, cold-pressed sunflower oil, and stone-ground flour that they mill on site. They also produce seed crops, which they sell at locations across northern Vermont, including Healthy Living, @morrisvillecoop and Green Mountain Natural Foods.
Morningstar Farm is based in Glover, Vermont. Owners Seth and Jeannette take pride in the health of their soil, which they attribute to their regenerative farming practices, including running a certified organic and GMO-free operation. Healthy soil makes healthy crops… makes healthy food… makes healthy people.
The husband and wife team started Morningstar Farm in 2004 with the belief that “organic farming is more than just a method — it’s a responsibility to our land, our community, and future generations.”
Thanks to our generous lead sponsors!
