For year one of a two-year ‘School to Farm’ USDA-funded project, we helped build relationships between Dorset Elementary 4th grade with nearby Yoder Farm and Randolph Elementary school students worked with Silloway Farm. Throughout this past school year, students visited the farms multiple times, participated in a variety of farm-based activities, and conducted school-wide taste tests of the farm's products. Each school celebrated their work by bringing together their parents and community for a meal made of local foods, and to share their projects.

This next school year, 4 new elementary schools and farmers will be working together on farm-based curriculum, local purchasing, and building strong community connections to their local farms. The schools participating will be:

• Fletcher Elementary and West Farm and Green Mountain Tech Farm
• Williamstown Elementary and Bare Roots Farm
• Poultney Elementary and Larson Farm
• Twin Valley Elementary and Boyd Family Farm

This project is was funded by the Farm to School United States Department of Agriculture Grant Project (FTS USDA Grant), and is a collaboration with Vermont Food Education Every Day (VTFEED).

Farm to Community Mentor Scout Proft facilitates one of the activities with Dorset Elementary School students at Yoder Farm.

A Dorset Elementary School 4th grade student picks raspberries at Yoder Farm.

NOFA-VT Farm to Community mentor Scout Proft, Dorset Elementary School 4th grade teacher Holly Hjelt, and Ryan Yoder, farmer, pose with the 4th graders on the farm.

John Silloway offers bites of tasty burritos made from his dairy beef to the students at Randolph Elementary.