Week one of The Lunchbox was a success! ✨🍎We were so happy to see old friends and meet new folks at each stop. Kids found and identified many important pollinators and decomposers during bug hunting in gardens and fields. Thanks to Greater Barton Arts for joining us in Barton and handing out art kits!

We were also able to give out an abundance of early-summer cucumbers, basil, and radishes thanks to @salvationfarmsvt ! Many more zucchini, squash, and tomato plants were happily taken home to be put in gardens.

We ended our week with our Block Party in Newport to kick off the summer. Stay tuned for more pictures of the event – it was a blast! 🎊

🎉 Our Block Party is happening TODAY! 🎉

Join us at Gardner Park in Newport from 3:00–6:00 PM for an afternoon of food, fun, and community. Stop by to connect with neighbors, meet 25+ local organizations & businesses, and enjoy everything this special event has to offer.

🍽️ Supper Menu
Whole grain macaroni & cheese, veggie sticks, fresh fruit, and milk.
- FREE meals for all kids and teens (18 and under)
- Adult meals available for just $8

Plus, enjoy:
- Jasper Hill cheese with crackers
- Milkshakes made on our smoothie bike
- Local foods and goodies to take home
- A bouncy house
- Fun and educational activities for kids
- Family resources and community connections

Bring your family, invite a friend, and come celebrate community with us. We can’t wait to see you there!

🎉 The countdown is on—our Block Party is tomorrow!

Kick off the summer with an afternoon of great food, family fun, and community connection at Gardner Park in Newport from 3:00–6:00 PM.

Enjoy a delicious supper, activities for kids, music, a bouncy house, family resources, and the chance to meet neighbors and local organizations.

🍽️ Supper Menu: Whole grain macaroni & cheese, veggie sticks, fresh fruit, and milk

✅ Free meals for all kids and teens 18 and under
✅ Adult meals available for $8

Whether you stay for a few minutes or the whole afternoon, we’d love to see you there. Bring your family, invite a friend, and join us as we celebrate the beginning of summer together!

Come see us in Irasburg! We’ll be outside the Leach Public Library, offering free kids’ lunches and fresh, local produce, plants and seeds until 1pm today! And find us at the Barton Public Library tomorrow 11am-1pm. Our Lunchbox food truck is in the shop this week, so look for our tent!

Important Lunchbox Update 🚚

Our beloved Lunchbox food truck needs some unexpected repairs, so it will be off the road this week while we work to get it back up and running.

The Lunchbox program is still happening this week, just in a modified format:

🍎 11am -1pm Tuesday (at Leach Public Library) & Wednesday (at Barton Public Library):
• Free grab-and-go lunches for kids and teens 18 and under
• No adult meals
• No take-home breakfasts

🎉 Thursday’s Block Party is still on from 3-6pm at Newport’s Gardner Park!
• Free suppers for all kids and teens 18 and under
• Adult meals available for $8
(This Thursday, there will be no lunch service. Instead, there will be supper served at the Block Party.)

You’ll still find us at all scheduled locations. Look for our tent instead of the food truck for now. Thank you for your patience and support as we navigate this unexpected bump in the road!

We’re also incredibly grateful to a couple of generous donors who have stepped up to help make these food truck repairs possible. 💛

Read more about The Lunchbox on our website. Link in bio.

We have so mush-room in our hearts for Kevin Melman, the super fun-gi behind @funj_shrooming_co 🍄‍🟫🍄‍🟫

FUNJ. Shrooming Company is a certified organic operation employing a range of sustainable best practices to grow fresh, delicious mushrooms in Northern Vermont. They even offer dried varieties and grow kits!

You can find FUNJ. products at local farm stands including @wilsonfarmvermont, @joesbrookfarm and @chamberlinsfarm.

Learn more about this awesome new business at: funjshrooming.com

Over the past couple weeks, we’ve been celebrating one of our favorite Farm-to-School traditions: All School Planting Days! During these special events, every class takes a turn helping prepare and plant their school garden. With the weather warming and the school year winding down, students were eager to get their hands in the soil and spend time learning outdoors! ☀️🌱

All School Planting Days mark the culmination of a year of Farm-to-School learning. By sowing tiny seeds and seedlings that will grow into mature plants come fall, students experience the journey of growing food, from seed to harvest. 🍅🥔

Interested in helping our school gardens flourish over the summer? We’re looking for volunteers to help water, weed, harvest, and care for gardens while school is out. Link in bio to sign up to volunteer! ✨

Recently, our Farm-to-School team has been busy planting school gardens alongside enthusiastic students in the Northeast Kingdom. 🌱

This work is only possible because of the incredible generosity of our community. A huge thank you to our partners who donated seeds, compost, seedlings, and fruit trees to help school gardens thrive: @hudsonvalleyseedco, @johnnys_seeds, @coastofmaineorganic, @vermontcompost, @berrycreekfarm1992, The Maine Potato Lady, Lake Region High School, Beaver Meadow Greenhouses, and @branchoutburlington - with funding support from People’s Bank.

We’d also love to connect with other businesses and community members interested in supporting this work through in-kind donations. Send us a message to get involved!