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October was National Farm to School Month, and Vermont was busy celebrating, advocating, and thanking the hundreds of people around the state who have been working to feed our children nourishing meals, bring more local foods into school and early childhood meal programs, and help students to understand the complex food systems they are part of.

Vermont kicked off October with a celebration to thank Senator Leahy for his decades of support for the Farm to School movement, both in the Green Mountain State and nationally. Crossett Brook Middle School hosted the statewide event and showcased the incredible ways they have connected the cafeteria, classrooms, and community. Read more about the event here.

But just because October has come and gone, it doesn't mean the work is over! Vermont FEED and the Vermont Farm to School & Early Childhood Network are working to secure level funding of the Farm to School & Early Childhood Grant Program and Local Foods Incentive Program. Join us to help expand farm to school to all Vermont communities!

Vermont's Local Foods Incentive offers school districts and supervisory unions financial incentive for purchasing local food for their school meals. Additionally, grants through the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets have supported early childhood programs in purchasing CSAs from local farms, getting farm-fresh produce on the plates of our youngest learners.

To celebrate these wins, the Network launched the This Farm Feeds Vermont Kids project, where Vermonters are sharing their stories about how their farmer-school partnership is impacting their school communities for the better.

Do you have your own farm to school stories to share? Your stories need to be heard so your community feels part of (and supports!) the important work you're doing to connect the cafeteria, classroom, and community. In a recent Vermont FEED workshop, social communications expert Rebecca Sanborn Stone shared her insights on how to tell your stories to the people that matter to your work. We're sharing a few takeaways, resources, and the full workshop recording.

Our Northeast Farm to School Institute is a whole-school professional learning model that supports school communities in building enduring farm to school programs. The year-long Institute kicks off with a summer retreat at Shelburne Farms in Shelburne, VT June 28–30, 2023. Applications open in January 2023!