Vermont Food System News

August 2020

Farm to Plate is Vermont’s food system plan being implemented statewide to increase economic development and jobs in the farm and food sector and improve access to healthy local food for all Vermonters.

www.vtfarmtoplate.com

VT Everyone Eats: Proposals Requested

$5 million available for community projects that engage restaurants in emergency feeding.

In response to COVID-19, restaurants, farmers, and community organizations across Vermont have stepped forward to help feed neighbors experiencing food insecurity. These programs have helped stabilize communities by nourishing Vermonters, alleviating the surging demand on food shelves, and providing economic support to restaurants. The State of Vermont has allocated $5M from the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) to a new program called Everyone Eats, which supports restaurants feeding Vermonters who have been negatively impacted by COVID-19.

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Public Input Needed for F2P 2.0

The Farm to Plate Network's Farm to Plate 2.0 public survey closes soon and we need your help sharing this with Vermonters far and wide because we want their input! Please fill out the survey and consider sharing this with your networks and community.

Additional questions about this survey can be directed to Jake Claro at jake@vsjf.org.

Take the F2P 2.0 Public Input Survey

Get the Media Kit (Contains Images and Sample Outreach Text)

Local Food Resiliency in Vermont

Communities all around Vermont are creating, discovering and revisiting strategies for building a more secure, accessible and resilient local food system. The Farm to Plate Network and the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets have partnered on an ongoing project to highlight these community-based food access initiatives. The newly launched Local Food Resiliency in Vermont website is a library of profiles showcasing strategies and successes coming from thoughtful planning and community connection, rooted in place-based thinking.

The first round of profiles on the website highlight several initiatives that were underway prior to the coronavirus pandemic, and a few that have had to make adjustments or have been reimagined in response to the current public health emergency. Projects currently featured include C.I.D.E.R. (Champlain Islanders Developing Essential Resources) distribution of meals, Willy’s Variety’s new produce fridge, tracking the use of food resources by the Northwest Regional Planning Commission and the Hunger Council of Franklin and Grand Isle, the Growing Resilience initiative in Brattleboro, Healthy Roots and Franklin and Grand Isle Community Action’s partnership to secure a van, and the relocation of the Brattleboro Winter Farmers’ Market. Upcoming features include the Abenaki Land Link project, the Randolph Community Orchard, the Poultney Area REKO Ring, the Susu Healing Collective, and more.

We invite you to draw on these ideas and collective wisdom as you think and plan around food, accessibility and justice where you are. See them all and read the full stories here. If you know of projects that would make a good feature, or are part of one yourself, email emily@vsjf.org and sarah@vsjf.org.

COVID-19 and Food Insecurity Impacts

Read the Report

Food and Job Insecurity in VT During COVID-19

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Racial Justice & Equity Resource Highlight

Racial Equity Tools

Each month we will aim to feature a resource in the Farm to Plate Racial Justice and Equity Resource Collection.*

This month's feature is a listing of Racial Equity Tools designed to support individuals and groups working to achieve racial equity. This site offers tools, research, tips, curricula and ideas for people who want to increase their own understanding and to help those working toward justice at every level – in systems, organizations, communities and the culture at large.

*Note: The resource collection is a growing list. If you would like to add a resource, please reach out to shane@vsjf.org.

Access Racial Equity Tools

Rooted in Vermont, the Vermont Farm to Plate Network’s local food marketing campaign, is celebrating Vermont meat for the grill with a marketing campaign focusing on all of those sizzling cuts of chicken, beef, pork, lamb, goat, and everything else that can be found at farm stands, farmers markets, and grocery stores around the state.

Listen to your local radio stations for the ads and look for them on Front Porch Forum and social media channels! The goal is to encourage consumers to seek out Vermont meat for the grill.

How can you plug into the conversation?

For stores, farm stands, markets: leverage our campaign with your own marketing, outreach and displays put local meat products up front in order to maximize sales.
Everyone: share our posts on Facebook and Instagram and overlay your own messaging on top. Also, plug into the conversation on social media through the #RootedinVermont hashtag on Instagram or @RootedinVermont on Facebook. Throughout the campaign, we will be sharing photos, posts, and stories.

If you have any questions or want to chat about how to get more involved email shane@vsjf.org.