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
Our final week at The Lunchbox was bittersweet! We gave away SO. MANY. VEGETABLES. and said “goodbye-for-now” to so many of our regular visitors.
Despite some early issues with the food truck, The Lunchbox still distributed over 3,000 free meals to children and teens this summer! And we gave away over 1,000 pounds of fresh produce from our school gardens and area farms. 🥬🍅
If you haven’t had a chance to yet, please consider taking our annual survey to let us know about your experience visiting The Lunchbox. Link in bio. ✨
We’re so grateful to everyone who helped make this summer possible:
-To the families and community members who visited: Thank you for spending part of your summer with us. We love serving fresh, nutritious food and getting to know local families!
-To our amazing partners, including: Barton Public Library, Leach Public Library, Goodrich Memorial Library, @salvationfarmsvt, @healthvermont / WIC, @circussmirkus, Everybody Wins! Vermont, Head Start, @greaterbarton, @clifonline, Ticket to Ride, and @butterworksfarmvt
-To our generous sponsors, including: @communitynationalbankvt, @whitsonsculinarygroup, Vermont Barn Angels (@susankelleyharkey), @eastrisecu, and @northcountryfcu. See all our sponsors here: gmfts.org/supporters
- And to all our supporters! Thank you for an amazing summer. See you next year! 💛
This summer, Ella Pecor joined our team as our Food Sovereignty Intern, making a valuable contribution to our team and community. Ella’s friendly face welcomed visitors to The Lunchbox each day, where she handed out fresh produce from the Market Basket table and facilitated enrichment activities for kids. Behind the scenes, Ella supported our Food Access Coordinator, Hilary Rosa, with Lunchbox program planning, preparation, and marketing. Ella also worked with our AmeriCorps team to tend to the school gardens we manage, bringing harvested fruits and veggies to The Lunchbox each week.
Ella’s can-do attitude, thoughtful suggestions, and clear passion for our mission shone through her time at GMFTS, and we are so grateful to have had these past few months with her!
This fall, Ella will be returning to St. Lawrence University where she is studying Environmental Studies and Political Science. We wish her the very best with her senior year!
This is the FINAL WEEK of The Lunchbox Summer 2026. Join us for one last week of good food, fun activities, and summer fun! 🥪
Put on your adventure hat, this week we will be doing nature scavenger hunts. We will be joined by @clifonline and two local storytellers, this week for storytime and free books. In Irasburg, we will meet poet Marv Klassen Landis. In Barton, meet author and illustrator Lorian Tu. In Newport, learn how to build your own fruit salad with WIC!
Come say hi 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
As the summer comes to a close, we’d love to hear your feedback about the program. If you visited us this summer, please take a few minutes to complete our anonymous survey. Link in bio.
We’re a proud distributor of @kingdomcreameryofvermont. For three generations, this family-run farm in East Hardwick, Vermont has produced high quality milk and dairy products.🥛🐄
The farm is currently seeking full-time help in the creamery and on the farm to assist with milking and farm chores! Please email Leslie Michaud at ljpower6@yahoo.com or call 802-274-8541 if you are interested or have questions.
Read more about the farm behind your favorite creemee on our blog! 🍦 Link in bio.
Funding for creating a sustainable local food system was made possible in part with a Rural Business Development Grant from USDA Rural Development.
Sparrow Arc Farm, in Guildhall, VT, is our only producer from Essex County, but they grow a critical crop for our local food system: POTATOES. One buyer called them, "The absolute best potatoes I’ve ever eaten in my life."
@northeastkingdompotatoco is an iconic NEK brand, providing tasty, affordable potatoes to the region`s schools. In 2025, Sparrow Arc`s potatoes were served in 30 different Vermont schools.
Potato season starts this fall. Look for their rustic brown paper bags at stores, farm stands (@chandlerpondfarm and @chamberlinsfarm), and on menus (@corkvt and @philoridgefarm) near you.
Funding for creating a sustainable local food system was made possible in part with a Rural Business Development Grant from USDA Rural Development.
It was a hot and humid week at The Lunchbox, but that didn’t stop kids from getting creative painting rocks for their gardens and homes. Some artists made ladybugs while others learned about color theory through mixing paints. We loved seeing all of the masterpieces that were created throughout the week! 🎨🐞🚲
Thank you to Ticket to Ride Vermont for visiting us in Irasburg to help kids ditch the training wheels. It was so exciting to see so many kids feel confident biking around the park!
At the Market Basket table we had summer squash coming out of our ears! Italian squash, pattypan squash, cocozelle zucchinis, and green zucchini all got taken home with families to be sautéed, turned into zucchini muffins or delicious fritters.
There is only ONE week left of The Lunchbox this summer. Swing by next week to enjoy more fresh and free kids meals, and celebrate another fantastic summer of The Lunchbox Program!
And if you visited us this summer, please share your feedback through our anonymous survey. Link in bio.
It’s the final week of service for our current AmeriCorps team!
Over the past year, Alex, Anna Belle, and Ella have served our communities with passion, care, and dedication. As our AmeriCorps Farm-to-School Coordinators, they are an essential part of our team, bringing hands-on Farm-to-School lessons, workshops, field trips, and afterschool programs to our partner schools during the school year. Throughout the summer, they care for our school gardens and help make The Lunchbox summer meal program a success.
We are incredibly grateful for all that this team has contributed over the past year. We wish Alex and Ella the very best as they begin their next adventures, and we’re excited that Anna Belle will be returning for a second year of service with us!
Thank you for making such a meaningful impact on our schools and communities. 💛
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.
Thanks to our generous lead sponsors!
