Photo caption: Left to right – Elyse Perambo (Farm-to-School Program Manager, GMFTS), Leanne Harple (Orleans County Rep), and Becca Perrin (Food Hub Account Manager, GMFTS)
On February 12th, our Farm-to-School Program Manager, Elyse Perambo, and our Food Hub Account Manager, Becca Perrin, attended Farm to School Day at the Vermont State House to advocate for continued legislative support of the state’s Farm to School grants– which fund farm to school programming in schools– and the state-funded Local Foods Incentive program, which partially reimburses schools for their kitchen’s local purchases.
Farm to school advocates from across the state were present, including school food service directors, teachers, middle and high school students, farmers, food hubs, and farm to school advocacy organizations. They provided testimony to Vermont senators and representatives about the deep impact of these programs.
Becca testified before the Senate Agriculture Committee that “these programs are not just about food—they are about building a resilient agricultural economy. Vermont’s farmers face numerous challenges, from rising input costs to climate change and market volatility. Small and mid-sized farms—the backbone of Vermont agriculture—depend on these stable markets to plan for the future, retain employees, and invest in sustainable practices.”
Elyse and Becca then had the opportunity to meet with Orleans-4 District Representative, Leanne Harple, about the impact of these programs on students and farmers in the Northeast Kingdom and across the state. As a parent and teacher herself, she affirmed her support for this continued funding, as well as continued funding of Universal School Meals in Vermont, which is essential to supporting low-income families in our state.
