NOFA-VT will work this school year with four elementary schools around Vermont, and their 4th grade classes on a Farm to School United States Department of Agriculture Grant Project (FTS USDA Grant). Vermont has a rich history of Farm to School programming and this grant takes that program even deeper through on-farm education with the farmer as the center of the plate, a focus on the region’s agricultural history, and purchasing of local foods.
Working in collaboration with our Vermont Food Education Every Day (VTFEED) partner, Shelburne Farms, this second year of our ‘School to Farm’ project will result in the school communities building stronger connections with their local farms through education, local purchasing, and community engagement. Last school year we worked with 4th graders from Randolph Elementary whose farm partner was the organic dairy, Silloway Farm, as well as Dorset Elementary whose partner was Yoder Farm.
“I really love the farm to school program because it is connecting students with their community and local history," said Ms. Skolnick, a teacher at Randolph Elementary. "Students are getting a much deeper understanding of how the land around them is used and has changed over time.”
This year’s partner’s include:
- Bear Roots Farm of Williamstown and Williamstown Elementary School
- Larson Family Farm of Wells and Poultney Elementary School
- Boyd Family Farm of Willmington and Twin Valley Elementary School
- West Farm of Jeffersonville, Green Mountain Tech Farm and Fletcher Elementary School