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 2024 premier sponsors – The Abbey Group, Community National Bank and Jay Peak!
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
In the lead up to Giving Tuesday, we ran a matching gift challenge. It turns out it was so successful that we met our Giving Tuesday match goal early - before we even got to Giving Tuesday! Our total year-end fundraising goal is $30,000, and thanks to everyone who has already contributed we are closer to that goal.
We now have $18,000 left to raise by the end of the year to fund our programs! Can you help us get there? Gifts of every size make a difference! 💛
Thanks to our donors, this past year we were able to:
-Engage over 2,000 children in hands-on farm-to-school education through lessons, workshops, after-school programs, and field trips
-Support 50 Vermont farmers/producers through product sales and distribution
-Provide hunger relief to hundreds of families with nutritious whole foods and meals
These are just a few of the ways your gift serves our communities. Help us keep the momentum going as we prepare to move into the new year!
Click the link in our bio to give today. Thank you! 🙏
So far, we have raised $3,225.86 towards our Giving Tuesday campaign goal of $4,000! There’s still time to have your gift matched! ✨Help support our mission with a gift today. When you give to GMFTS, you are fostering the healthy development of our region’s children, promoting food access for our region’s families, and supporting the viability and growth of our region’s farm and food businesses.
Join us in our work to build a thriving local foodshed that benefits all of us. Link in bio to donate.
From now through Giving Tuesday, your donation to GMFTS will be DOUBLED (up to $2,000) through a Leadership Match challenge offered by our Board of Directors and Executive Director! Whatever we raise through this Giving Tuesday campaign will contribute to our total year-end goal of $30,000. Will you pitch in?
Your gift will help us:
-Support small farms in overcoming barriers
-Increase the amount of fresh, whole, local foods in school meals
-Create stigma-free spaces for community members to access food resources
-Provide hands-on learning opportunities for students
As a small but mighty nonprofit, we couldn’t make all this happen without support from our community. Friends like you help make our programs possible, and allow us to deepen our impact.
Click the link in our bio to double your donation dollars today!
4th graders at Derby Elementary did a great job creating a poster, peeling, and chopping for their November Taste Test! Do you recognize this variety of winter squash?
The Brighton Elementary School Community Action Cooking Team has been hard at work preparing meals for the senior residents of Sunrise Manor in Island Pond. Now three weeks into the program, the students have prepared a kale salad, a winter squash dessert with oatmeal topping, and pasta alfredo with roasted cauliflower. All of the produce used in these meals was gleaned by @salvationfarmsvt , helping to close the loop on food waste.
These students will continue to meet weekly after school right up until winter break, practicing skills that will enable them to make healthy food choices for themselves and their families. They will be awarded with a personal recipe book, a Certificate of Community Service, and a small stipend for their participation in the program.
This program is funded primarily by a Farm to School Vision Grant provided by the VT Agency of Agricultural, Food & Markets. Other funding is generously provided by the Moriah Wilson Foundation and the Northeast Kingdom Fund of the
@vtcommfoundation .
Barton students are participating in a cooking-focused after school program where they help to prepare gleaned local produce for the weekly Barton community meal. This week the 3rd-5th graders peeled and chopped potatoes and carrots, learning about knife skills and working to feed their community! 🥕
Holidays are just around the corner, and who doesn’t love sweet potato casserole at family gatherings? Our friends at Laughing Child Farm - so named for the sounds of farmers Brooke & Timothy’s children laughing while they work on the farm - grow the best sweet potatoes around! Located in scenic Pawlet, VT, this family-owned, certified organic farm grows three distinct varieties of sweet potato to suit your taste buds.
What really sets @laughingchildfarm apart, though, is their commitment to sustainable agriculture. With the use of cover crops, the farm returns nutrients to the soil, guards against soil erosion, and attracts pollinators. In 2020, the farm installed solar and began using it to power their barn and farm stand. With practices like these, Laughing Child is helping to create a more resilient local food system in the face of climate change.
We are proud to help distribute Laughing Child’s sweet potatoes to over 40 Vermont schools for the statewide Harvest of the Month program. You can also find them at Arbor Farm Market, Buffalo Mountain Co-op, Morrisville Co-op, Roots Farm Market, and other small retailers throughout the Northeast Kingdom.
#organic #sustainableagriculture #supportlocalfarms
Meet Olivia - one of our AmeriCorps Farm-to-School Coordinators for the 24/25 school year! Olivia graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2023 with a B.S. in Plant Science. This deepened her understanding of local food systems’ importance for communities everywhere and the joy and connection that comes from growing and eating from the land. Prior to serving with AmeriCorps, Olivia worked at Mill City Farmers Market in Minneapolis educating visitors and implementing their programs. When she’s not pulling weeds, you can find her reading, hiking trails, or swimming in beautiful Lake Memphremagog. As a Minnesota transplant, she’s excited for new adventures in Vermont!
