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Small Bites
November 2025
Creating opportunities to support & amplify regional food systems by sharing info & resources for relocalizing sales
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In November, we the people, traditionally gather with family & friends to espouse our values around a table adorned with the trappings of food & embracing family customs. This year for some it may be no different, for others it will be very much altered with cuts to federal programs that literally put food on the table. There are also travel uncertainties including flights & fears of random assaults on the freedom to be out in public or at workplaces. Food costs continue to rise from tariff impacts on imported (107% on Italian products) & domestically produced foods because of cost increases across the supply chain. Labor constraints & climate impacts continue their upheaval too.
Readers of Small Bites are knee deep in every aspect of food supply networks, getting food from farms through to retail. Each business or technical service provider intersects at several crossroads, sometimes impacted directly or indirectly when prices rise or availability diminishes. In this month of boasting our love for food, a cautionary pallor wafts through our communities. Stores currently offer all the trappings of Thanksgiving gatherings, while also caring for their community. Mutual aid and state assistance is again showing importance not amplified since the worst of the pandemic years. Below you will read how our business community is rising to meet critical needs. Every act of care counts, & when we share our efforts using #FeedingVermontTogether we remind others that Vermont takes care of its own.
Currently, balancing sales & promoting our local food alliance is addressing impacts of the breakdown of social services at the federal level. Read on for Vermont’s embrace of caring for our people & the value of gathering, while running businesses that seek to sustain themselves. Gratitude as work together addressing so many complicated issues as the holidays are upon us.
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All Hands on Deck
Willing Hands recovers fresh food from farms, grocery stores, restaurants, & wholesalers. The food is delivered year-round, for free, to approximately 80 social service organizations across the Upper Valley of Vermont & New Hampshire. The work is made possible by a strong & wide network of volunteers, food donors, & recipient organizations.
Together, they serve 30,000 individuals annually with four million servings while mitigating nearly one million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions from food that would have otherwise gone to waste. The partnerships across the region are a vital part of mutual aid that spans seasons & state borders.
Upper Valley Produce & Provisions International are two partnering distributors helping to meet the needs of the Upper Valley. Recently a pallet of North Country Smokehouse meat was delivered to Willing Hands. High quality protein is a very welcome addition to any charitable organization, & in these most challenging of times with the decimation of SNAP benefits, this delivery was timely. Through the wide network of farmers, food manufacturers, distributors, & stores, we are stepping up, even more focused on helping feed our most at risk populations.
Across Vermont & the regional stores, farmers & food manufacturers are working together to alleviate the suffering specifically tied to SNAP cuts & the ongoing federal disjunction intersection the state of medical care.
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#FeedingVermontTogether
It started as a simple holiday cheer post on the VSFA list serve. Quickly growing into a creative & supportive B2B movement initiated by our specialty food producers.
#FeedingVermontTogether is a grassroots movement built on the simple belief that no Vermonter should go hungry, no matter what’s happening in Washington. The idea became a fast-moving community response organized such that it will continue beyond the reopening of the federal government.
As many of our neighbors lose access to SNAP benefits with the government shutdown, FVT is asking individuals, businesses, & community groups to step up in whatever ways they can — donating food, giving funds, sharing meals, or supporting local organizations like the Vermont Foodbank.
As Claire at Butterfly Bakery said as ideas were coalescing “On our own, each of us can do something like this. But together, we could do so much more.” Dig in here & participate as you see fit
"An article in Rolling Stone said how Vermont will be hit especially hard by the government shutdown. What the story misses is Vermont’s extraordinary ability to come together, trust each other, and take care of our neighbors. That’s the real story.
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VSFA is a thriving community of specialty food producers from all corners of the Green Mountain State, VSFA includes many small family owned & operated businesses. This includes retail stores & businesses across network that sustain our working landscape.
Become a VSFA member today.
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Jamaica & Vermont Farming Hand in Hand
Each autumn, hundreds of seasonal workers from Jamaica travel to Vermont to help tend, harvest, & pack the apples that fill our state’s markets, schools, & homes. These men & women are the backbone of Vermont’s apple industry—skilled professionals who work long hours with pride, care, & craftsmanship.
Now, it’s our turn to care for them.
The Vermont Apple Growers’ Support Fund for Jamaican Seasonal Workers is a unified effort by Vermont orchards to provide direct financial support to our Jamaican team members who help feed our communities.
Every dollar raised will go directly & equally to these essential workers employed across participating orchards.
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And it is not just our orchards that rely on Jamaican seasonal workers. Their production skills are paramount to vegetable & fruit operations too. Without these workers we would not have the "Vermont food reputation" we have today. Full stop we rely on them.
Currently across the state there are several funds to support our workers. The above mentioned fund conceived by Champlain Orchards, & this one from Paul Mazza's Farm to help our Jamaican community recover & rebuild from the devastating effects of Hurricane Melissa. Please support & promote through your food system work.
Read more about the partnerships from VT Digger
| Naomi Wolcott-MacCausland at the University of Vermont estimates there are nearly 600 seasonal workers here annually; about 85% of them come from Jamaica. | |
Community Connections
Food insecurity is peaking just before the holiday season, due to DOGE federal firings earlier this year, the impacts on federal workers due to the shutdown, & the systemic nature of corporations not paying livable wages & (currently unfunded) SNAP benefits received by their employees. Add to that, US employers have announced 1.1 million layoffs this year rivaling 2008-9 data (per WAPO)
The United Church of Craftsbury in partnership with local retailers, is spearheading a food-drive effort to support the Food Pantry for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.
As you walk around The Genny, you will see products tagged as “Food Pantry Wish List” items. These are suggested items to augment the bulk good offerings the Pantry normally distributes and will offer participants more variety in their grocery baskets. There will also be a list at the register of general categories on the wish list. The tags are suggestions, but any & all shelf-stable items are welcome!
All products purchased by Nov 15th will be collected and organized by church and community volunteers and distributed through the Pantry for the holiday. Cash donations to Nourish Hardwick are also welcome to support the needs of the community.
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Updates from Partners CAE
It is a very difficult time to navigate the uncertainties. We are on a fast moving, off-the-tracks train. It is impossible to convey how unsettling the president is & his lack of concern to providing food to those in need. We will look back in disbelief of the depth of cruelty.
Governor Scott issued a statement on October 27 indicating that Vermont is supporting a multi-state lawsuit seeking to require the federal government to release funding for food assistance. He states, "Even with state efforts, the lack of federal SNAP funding will disrupt the lives of over 63,000 Vermonters & could cause real harm."
Top Vermont lawmakers announced that the state will backfill food benefits for at least 15 days when the federal dollars stopped on November 1st. This makes Vermont one of the first states to fully fund food assistance benefits as the federal shutdown continues. However, government is requiring states detail all efforts to help their constituents.
Hunger Free Vermont is posting regular updates about impacts to 3SquaresVT. CAE is having conversations across their programs working with a wide network of producers & retail partners to determine how to best support food access during this critical & uncertain time.
| In Hardwick, Pies for People is a community baking initiative calling on families, individuals, businesses, & groups to bake pies for the Hardwick Area Food Pantry‘s Thanksgiving boxes. Sites in Hardwick, Craftsbury, & Albany help make the holidays a bit brighter for our neighbors facing food insecurity. | |
Come Together,
Collaborate for Change
Vermont Farm to Plate's 15th Annual Gathering is on November 20th & 21st at Burke Mountain Resort.
The theme "Keep Calm, & Collaborate on: Working Better Together as a Region in Uncertain Times". Just the kind of gathering we need this year, it sure has been uncertain.
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Staff Retention: Can WIMPER be an Answer?
Most store owners think of accounting as a necessary cost. But when you partner with a sharp finance team, your books become a profit center.
One powerful example: WIMPER programs (Wellness & Integrated Medical Plan Expense Reimbursement). Attract & keep your best people by offering real health & wellness benefits—without spending a penny more than you do right now.
Here's how it works: You set up a simple medical reimbursement benefit that lets your team use pre-tax dollars for everyday healthcare such as prescriptions, doctor visits, dental, vision, mental health, you name it. It's flexible, so employees use it for what they actually need.
Read more about it from Jim at Creators Financial
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Food Producers
Traceability Systems
Batchbetter.com has created an easy-to-use daily production & record system for each lot. They take your handwritten (coffee stained?) production sheets turning them into easily accessed digital records.
Snap a photo of your completed receiving, production & shipping sheets with your phone. Upload it to Batch Better. It accurately transcribes every ingredient & lot code. No manual data entry. Each upload becomes a record, powering instant traceability & real-time inventory. Find out more here.
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You've seen the press release, maybe you got a post card, & you know the drill that in Vermont we like to know just how much all of our work means to our economic viability.
Stay tuned for the January 2026 rollout for the Local Food Count which now includes all six New England states!
| Misty Knoll Farm turkeys were lined up ready for processing & Thanksgiving dinners across New England. | | |
VT Grocers Project:
There's Nothing Like It
We did it again! A small but mighty gathering for All Things Produce, where we talked shop with store Produce line staff. Being face to face & meeting new folks is a powerful way to learn. It is intrinsic to our work. Produce teams from three states joined the VT Grocers Project to learn about warehouses, back rooms, & merchandising.
During these unsettled times in grocery stores we banded together as regional food allies to foster a stronger business-to-business network. Warehouse visits are always eye opening for produce workers.
Upper Valley Produce helped folks see the inner workings by hosting the tour. Lebanon Food Coop followed with all things Produce: back room systems, local vendor relationships, merchandising, & creativity for optimal sales.
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Long time Produce Heroes James Morrell, Becca White, James Gordon, Brendan Austin, & Annie Harlow shared input while attendees provided key topical knowledge pertaining to their distinct store variables. The coop Produce Team stepped in with great information to help understand their systems-approach to all things Produce.
Appreciation to the Canaday Family Trust for offering funding for this B2B mind hive allowing us to bring together a great group of folks. In-person learning has immediate & long term value in building relationships & sharing information.
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In Memorial
A huge loss has come to the family, friends, & Vermont farming community. Cory Walker died recently at age 41 having come to Vermont to continue his passion for organic farming. He cultivated the land & a community of loyal friends & admirers of his renegade character.
Farming for 25 years, first on Martha's Vineyard where he crafted his Guerilla Grower Produce brand. He grew into the position of principal grower & part owner at Harlow Farm. His love for the land & growing food did not quite match the love for his family. A memorial fund has been established for his children.
On November 11th, Vermont farmers & his greater community gathered for a celebration of all his gifts at the Riverside Farm, in Putney. Here is his obituary, with more about his life from Harlow Farm.
"Strengthening the community’s food security has always been a major goal for Cory, & he wants to maintain Harlow Farm’s reputation in the community, & to work at putting good, organic food into everyone’s hands."
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Face to Face:
Building Relationships
Distributor ‘tabletop’ tradeshows continue to be relevant as an opportunity for vendors to meet up with current & potential buyers. They are invited to showcase current or new products which help buyers discover possibilities. Award-winning Green Mountain Blue Cheese had a prominent spot showcasing & amplifying their products with samples.
Shows are designed for interaction featuring product lines & highlighting brands that seek more traction. The sales reps work the room with store buyers & they court vendors for ‘ride-alongs’ where they will demo products in stores.
Black River Produce recently had a show in Burlington, VT where all their categories were represented with a great number of Vermont & regional food manufacturers working their magic to be noticed. There might never be a perfect time to convene but inevitably value exists for buyers & sellers to interact in person. To catch glimpses of conversations tells tales of successes with plenty of joy, smiles, & laughter in the room.
| Another vendor at he BRP show was Global Village Foods talking shop for their service packs, perfect for stores hot bars. Samosas are one of the ready-to-eat meals offerings with clean ingredients in Vermont. The allergy-friendly frozen meals are on shelves across New England. Middlebury & the Hanover Lebanon coops are consistent customers. Products are available through multiple distributors including Marty's Local & Black River Produce. | |
Vermont Holiday Tradition
Our dairies look forward to this season of eggnog, butterm & heavy cream!
Holiday baking & entertaining go hand in hand relying on our premium dairy products. This includes high butterfat, Jersey milk the base for Rogers Farmstead Eggnog.
As a Real Organic Farm, all ingredients are organic, therefore leaving out emulsifiers. Instead, they stick to whole milk, egg yolks, cane sugar, & nutmeg to create this traditional holiday beverage the old fashioned way.
Store buyers shift their product placement to feature the short season, eagerly awaited seasonal delight. Rogers is available through multiple distributors including Pumpkin Village Foods.
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What If We
Change the Paradigm?
For fruit & vegetable farmers it is brutal out there. Production variables are intense.
Production is a set of unique variables: climate impacts including new pressure from pests, rising costs & flat pricing for products, regulations & taxes, aging farmers & intergeneration farm transfers.
Additionally in Vermont, the 2022 Census of Agriculture found that
752 Vermont farms sell $41 million of vegetables annually, but just 17 farms have sales over $1 million, and 22 farms have sales between $500,000 and $1 million. Of the 649 Vermont farms selling $26 million of fruit, just 10 farms have sales over $1 million of product, and 9 farms have sales between $500,000 and $1 million.
At the wholesale distribution & retail levels buyers are hit with intense pressure to make money in a highly price competitive infringing on anti-trust policies. Stores literally make mere pennies on every dollar of food sold. For farmers this comes into play as every sale matters.
Farmers selling fresh products compete in a system that is pushing against them on multiple fronts. What if we found a way to make growing & selling fresh food a public benefit where local food becomes even more community centric & aligned with our cultural values: feeding our people local food, preserving our landscape, relocalizing our economy, & reducing the burdens of young or emerging farmers to compete.
Could it be a new wave of building our economy by thinking differently about the impacts of current governmental structures that hep us meet society's various needs? Across the supply network it is a question more people are asking.
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Retail Details:
Grading for Quality
Growers of root crops are in the height of their season. Crops have been harvested. Washing, sorting, & packing out has begun for carrots, beets, turnips, & potatoes often sold wholesale throughout the year to stores & through distributors.
Farms have standard operating systems to efficiently work these ‘lines’ for uniformity to meet demands of their buyers. In produce there are USDA grading standards for shipping. There is also flexibility when working with store buyers directly. Farmers & buyers work together to establish the features that make up the quality they will receive.
Take carrots, what differentiates a #1 grade from a “second”. Selling the top tier requires uniformity in size & color while addressing cracks & insect damage. For shipping the highest uniformity provides the best assurance for buyers to restock. When the carrot also tastes good & appeals to the shopper the re-buy factor is enhanced across market channels.
At our All Things Produce Day, The Lebanon Coop shared with other stores their methods of ensuring strong relationships with farmers & shoppers.
The second tier may have a place at a store, but there must be clarity of quality in advance. What farmers are offering will be commensurate with price points for the store. It is important for farmers to know it takes an equal amount of labor & associated production costs to produce a “2nd” tier carrot as a top tier one, yet the price they receive will be of a lesser amount. A store buyer must know its customer base to determine if 2nd tier will even offer the farmer a reasonable outlet.
When it comes to selling & gaining revenue for 2nds one farmer was recently juggling the value of green tops, cracks, nibbles, broken tips, too big, too small, wireworm damage, cuddlers, the ones that need some pants, & all the other funky & fun forms that make carrot harvest so entertaining.
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Rival to the Rescue!
A multi-week workshop series through Rival Brands could be just the ticket to building your brand.
Learn how to ask the critical questions that define your brand & gain access to answers for your place in the market. A four or ten week series is available. Find more info, pricing & apply here (space is limited).
These workshops are funded by a Business Enhancement grant from the Vermont Working Lands Initiative.
| In the "richest country in history" our federal workers are forced to turn to food shelves. In every corner, mutual aide is stepping in as best they can. Things are only going to get worse as the medical care system implodes under the weight of capitalist greed. In 2026 the impact will reach our businesses that offer healthcare benefits as prices will rise. | | |
Apologies for any oversights & typos.
Thanks to everyone who contributed to this issue
Created with gratitude for the support from the Canaday Family Charitable Trust
We directly support the New England State Food System Planners Partnership effort to strengthen the regional food economy.
Contact: Annie Harlow
smallbites802 @ gmail.com
All info is subject to change.
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