Big news! Green Mountain Farm-to-School (GMFTS) has partnered with the White Market for their Coins for Community program which allows customers to donate to a rotating local nonprofit organization each month. 

For the entire month of October, White Market shoppers can “round up” their purchase at checkout to donate to GMFTS, or choose an amount to donate at all three White Market locations in Lyndonville and St. Johnsbury.


Donations from Coins for Community will support our farm to school program and school gardens at 16 NEK schools as well as food insecurity prevention efforts connecting 30 NEK farms to local food shelves.


GMFTS is a small nonprofit organization working to strengthen local food systems in the NEK by promoting positive economic relationships, education, and access between schools, farms, and communities. We create healthy communities by working across the food system with capacity building, resource development, and technical assistance through our four interconnected programs: 

  • (1) our Farm to School program, delivering educational workshops, farm field trips, and after school programs to students in the NEK and maintaining 16 school gardens.


  • (2) Green Mountain Farm Direct, a local food hub that connects local farms and producers with schools, restaurants, institutions, and food shelves across Northern Vermont to help increase farms’ sales and boost consumption of local food in the region.


  • (3) The Lunchbox food truck – our free summer meal site for children 18 and under in the NEK featuring healthy, locally-sourced meals in a stigma-free environment.


  • (4) Vermont Harvest of the Month – our statewide marketing campaign to promote seasonal eating, encourage healthy diets, and support the local economy. 

Our six full-time staff and five AmeriCorps members partner with each community we serve to develop a comprehensive approach to improve access to healthy food, revitalize the local economy, and improve educational offerings in local schools. 

In response to COVID-19, we have worked to connect our farm partners with the charitable food system to provide vulnerable populations in our community with access to healthy, local food. Learn more about all of our COVID-19 relief work here.

We appreciate all who are able to donate this month to support school garden programming and local food access in the NEK!