Vermont Foodbank

06/11/2026

The Johnson Food Shelf offers a regular "taste testing," featuring both federally sourced foods and fresh, local foods. Recently featured were lentils two ways: a vegetarian lentil salad and saucy pork and lentils, both using spinach from Foote Brook Farm purchased with Vermonters Feeding Vermonters funds. 🥬🥣

🌱 makes it possible for more people to access locally grown and produced foods when they visit their community's food shelf, so we can all share in the abundance that summer brings, while supporting Vermont farms.

06/10/2026

📣 The U.S. Congress passed the largest cuts to SNAP in the program’s history last year, stripping $187 billion from a food access program that supports 38 million Americans. The federal House Farm Bill did nothing to reverse it. Now, in Washington, D.C., the Senate is writing its own version, and we need it to protect and strengthen SNAP!

✏️📧 Send a message to U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and Senator Peter Welch urging them to restore SNAP, known in Vermont as 3SquaresVT, in the federal Farm Bill 👉https://projectbread.quorum.us/campaign/160551/

06/09/2026

Vermont's 2026 legislative session recently came to a close. 🏛️ How did food security priorities fare? 🍴

Despite a challenging funding climate, there were some important bright spots this year—from efforts that strengthen 3SquaresVT access, to funding support for critical programs, to unexpected new champions. ✨

For every advocacy success this year, we owe thanks to you—our partners, neighbors, and volunteers—for sharing your voices, experiences, and knowledge with legislators and helping them better understand how decisions about food access impact our communities. 🌱🤝

Read more on our blog ➡️

The 2026 Legislative Session, and second and final year of the 2025-2026 biennium, came to a close on Friday, May 29. There were a lot of ups, some downs, and many bills passed just before the deadline. We saw an increased awareness of food security, with some surprising champions stepping forward!....

06/09/2026

📢 Have you heard of Summer EBT?

This program provides $120 per child for qualifying Vermont families to use on groceries during the summer months when school meals aren't available. 🛒

And, many qualifying families will be enrolled automatically—including those who use 3SquaresVT. (These families will be notified by a letter in July). Some families may need to apply for Summer EBT, and applications are open now. 📝

ℹ️ You can find program and contact info, eligibility criteria, and the application at summerebt.vermont.gov .

06/08/2026

While summer might bring up visions of ballgames, BBQs, and swimming holes, many kids and families are worrying about having enough food to eat while school meals aren’t available. 🍽️ With today’s high prices, budgets are especially thin this summer.

🍉☀️ A summer as it should be starts with a full belly. Learn more about summer hunger in Vermont and how you can help. 🤝

Vermont Ranks #1 for Summer Meals, but Critical Gaps Remain “Summer often is one of the hungriest times of the year for families with school-age children.” This is the opening line of a new national report on summer meals published by the Food & Research Action Center (FRAC). It continues: “Wh...

06/05/2026

The early summer harvest is starting to arrive, and with funds, food access partners of the Foodbank are able to source freshly grown foods directly from local farms. 🥬🌞

📸 Pictured here is Champlain Islands Food Shelf's produce department stocked with items from Sandy Bottom Farm in Isle la Motte, and free fruits and veggies from the Foodbank. 🍅

This program helps spread Vermont's bounty to more neighbors, supports our farmers, and keeps dollars circulating in our communities. 🤝

06/03/2026

🥚 In honor of National Egg Day (today!), we present you a recipe that also features one of the stars of the spring harvest: Asparagus, Egg & Cheese Tart. 🥧 This delightful dish is surprisingly simple when you use a ready-made pie crust, and it can be ready in under an hour including baking time. 😋 Think: the crust of a quiche, the texture of a frittata, and the yummy tang of herbed goat cheese. 🔗 Find the link in the comments!

💡 Sourcing tip: If you're looking for a little support with your grocery budget, your local food shelf may be able to help! Find addresses, contact information, and hours on our website ➡️ vtfoodbank.org/food-shelf

👇 🍳 Share in the comments below: what's YOUR favorite way to prepare eggs?

06/01/2026

Did you know that reducing food loss by 15% would provide enough food for more than 25 million Americans each year? 🍌🥛🍞

That's just one reason why the Fresh Rescue program, which Vermont Foodbank coordinates, is so important. It helps grocery retailers get food that is good to eat, but unlikely to sell, to food shelf and meal site partners around the state—so it is available for community members to use, rather than ending up in the waste stream.

🔗📰 Read more on our blog ➡️

As Vermont compost piles get turned over and worked into this year’s home gardens, the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources and Vermont Foodbank are calling attention to the importance of feeding people before feeding the soil. Studies have found that people feel less guilty about wasting food when...

05/29/2026

Here's one example of how partner food shelves are using the program to make local products available to everyone, while supporting local producers. 🙌🤝🍁

Thanks to a Vermonters Feeding Vermonters grant from the Vermont Food Bank, we were able to purchase 60 quarts of maple syrup from a local producer in Richmond- Mountainview Mapleworks. 🍁

Mountainview Mapleworks generously donated 20 additional quarts! 💚

The cost of maple syrup is often out of reach for our food shelf shoppers, and they are excited to get a taste of our famous local sweetener thanks to this grant.

05/29/2026

🛒 Is your grocery bill feeling higher? You're not alone. If your budget is tight, please don't skip meals. 🥘🥪 Find your local food shelf here: vtfoodbank.org/food-shelf

Pictured: food shelves in Marshfield, Rutland, White River Junction, and Middlebury.