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Applications Open: Farm to School Leadership Academy

The Farm to School Leadership Academy brings together leaders and aspiring leaders who are committed to transforming food systems in schools.

By focusing on education, resilience, and care, explore how transformational leadership, systems change, and community support can help strengthen and sustain your farm to school work.

This is a year-long, hybrid program beginning September 2025 with a virtual orientation. Offered in partnership with the National Farm to School Network. Funded in part through a grant from the USDA.

2025 Legislative Updates:

Good News for Vermont's

Farm to School Efforts

The Vermont Farm to School & Early Childhood Network is pleased to report that food systems education and local procurement program funding is included in the state budget! We’re grateful to our legislative champions for recognizing the importance of nourishing all children with fresh, local food while supporting the farmers, educators, and school nutrition teams who make it possible.

In addition, we successfully advocated for one-time state funding for Local Food for Schools and Child Care, the program abruptly terminated by USDA in March.

Storytelling, Identity & Connection

Later this month, we’ll be kicking off our 15th annual Northeast Farm to School Institute! In celebration, hear from Ferene Paris, the 2024 Institute keynote speaker. Ferene shares the power of storytelling in connecting to your 'why' and reasons she believes food is a universal language for connection—especially with youth.

Congratulations to the

2025-26 Northeast Farm to School Institute Teams!

From June 24–26, we're kicking off our year-long Northeast Farm to School Institute at Shelburne Farms. The Institute supports school, early childhood, and district teams in building the relationships, skills, and connections needed to implement robust farm to school programs back home.

Additionally, four states—California, Colorado, Michigan, and New Mexico—will experience the program firsthand, as they adapt our model for their communities.

🎉 Congratulations to the 2025–26 Northeast Farm to School Institute cohort:

Arlington Area Childcare Inc., Arlington, VT

Bellows Falls Union High School, Westminster, VT

Hunt Middle School, Burlington, VT

Jefferson Elementary School, New Rochelle, NY

Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District, Jericho, VT

New Lebanon School, Greenwich, CT

Robbins Children's Programs, Attleboro, MA

Stepping Stones Museum for Children, Norwalk, CT

This program is funded at least in part with federal funds from the USDA.

You're receiving this email from Vermont FEED because you have previously signed up, downloaded a resource from our website, or participated in our farm to school programming. If you would no longer like to receive our updates, unsubscribe below.

Vermont FEED is a farm to school partnership project of

Shelburne Farms Institute for Sustainable Schools and NOFA-VT.