Green Mountain Farm-to-School

06/18/2026

Over the past couple weeks, we've been celebrating one of our favorite Farm-to-School traditions: All School Planting Days! During these special events, every class takes a turn helping prepare and plant their school garden. With the weather warming and the school year winding down, students were eager to get their hands in the soil and spend time learning outdoors!

All School Planting Days mark the culmination of a year of Farm-to-School learning. By sowing tiny seeds and seedlings that will grow into mature plants come fall, students experience the journey of growing food, from seed to harvest.

Interested in helping our school gardens flourish over the summer? We're looking for volunteers to help water, w**d, harvest, and care for gardens while school is out. Sign up to volunteer here: https://forms.gle/Cd98dgeqfnrQYTn88

Or email Elyse at [email protected]

06/16/2026

It's farm stand season! Farm Direct serves 16 farm stand customers, and the list is growing. These farm stands are a vital outlet for getting local, fresh products to Vermonters and tourists throughout the busy summer season. We are thrilled to add new farm stands to our customer list, including the Berry Creek Farm farm stand in Westfield, VT (open for the 2026 season)!

06/15/2026

🌱 Recently, our Farm-to-School team has been busy planting school gardens alongside enthusiastic students in the Northeast Kingdom.

This work is only possible because of the incredible generosity of our community. A huge thank you to our partners who donated seeds, compost, seedlings, and fruit trees to help school gardens thrive: Hudson Valley Seed Co., Johnny's Selected Seeds, Coast of Maine Organic Products, Inc., Vermont Compost Company, Berry Creek Farm, The Maine Potato Lady, Lake Region High School, Beaver Meadow Greenhouses, and Branch Out Burlington - with funding support from People’s Bank.

We'd also love to connect with other businesses and community members interested in supporting this work through in-kind donations. Send us a message to get involved! 🌱💚

06/11/2026

The Vermont Harvest of the Month for June is dairy! We’re celebrating by distributing 46 tubs of Kingdom Creamery of Vermont ice cream to schools across Vermont. Based in East Hardwick, VT, Kingdom Creamery has been producing the highest quality of milk on their family-run farm for three generations. All Kingdom Creamery products are all-natural, rBST free, and made with no artificial flavors or colors. Their milk, yogurt, ice cream, and frozen yogurt have truly become a Vermont staple, and we are proud to serve Kingdom Creamery products to our customers.

We're also proud to offer our food hub customers many Vermont dairy offerings, including heavy cream and kefir from Butterworks Farm, cheese spread and cream-top milk from Sweet Rowen Farmstead, cheese curds and grated cheese from Bridport Creamery, and much more! 🥛🐮🧀🍨🍦

06/10/2026

We deeply appreciate the wonderful contributions made this spring that have brought our school gardens to life. A heartfelt thank you to Coast of Maine Organic Products, Inc. for their generous donation of two pallets of Castine Blend Organic Raised Bed Mix, helping us nurture growth and inspire future gardeners in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. Their products can be found locally at the Newport Farm and Garden - Agway and EM Brown & Son Inc. in Barton.

06/10/2026

It's that time of year again! The Lunchbox will be kicking off the summer with a Block Party on Thursday, June 25th from 3-6pm in Newport’s Gardner Park.

Mark your calendars and join us for free family-friendly activities, a bouncy house, resource tables, and nutritious meals! Kids and teens 18 & under eat for FREE. Adult meals available for $8.

We can’t wait to see you there! https://www.facebook.com/share/15spZHfNS62/

Learn more about The Lunchbox program at: https://greenmountainfarmtoschool.org/programs/the-lunchbox/

06/09/2026

06/09/2026

This school year, we were fortunate to host a high school senior as a Food Systems Intern. Ephraim Elmer, a second-generation farmer from Lowell, VT, grew up participating in our Farm-to-School programs and has come full circle as a member of our team. Over the past year, Ephraim contributed to many aspects of our organization, but especially stood out in his work supporting Farm Direct at the CAE warehouse in Hardwick each Monday.

We are grateful for Ephraim’s contributions this year, and look forward to seeing all he accomplishes as he begins his farming career!

Last week, Ephraim was recognized by the Vermont Land Trust with a Land Steward Award for his commitment to sustainable farming. Reflecting on his future, Ephraim shares, “For the past few years I have wanted to become a farmer, and knowing the importance of sustainable agriculture has only given me more incentive.”

Read more about that award here:
https://www.newportdispatch.com/2026/06/04/derby-and-lowell-students-receive-awards-for-farming-and-forestry/

06/05/2026

As we head into the last few days of school, Newport Town School is having a blast with the animals at Coventry Falls Alpaca & Camels farm. Most classes were able to come to the farm, meet and feed the herd of alpacas, the two camels, and learned about wool and fiber arts. Thank you to Christina and Mary Cobb of Coventry Falls for having us and extending a warm welcome to the students of Newport Town School!

06/05/2026

The Lunchbox is preparing to hit the road for its 14th summer season, providing FREE meals to kids and teens ages 18 and under!

From June 23–August 14, The Lunchbox will make weekly stops from 11 am–1 pm at Leach Public Library (Tuesdays), Barton Public Library (Wednesdays), and Gardner Memorial Park (Thursdays).

Families can enjoy healthy meals, farm-fresh produce, and fun kids’ enrichment activities while connecting with their neighbors and their local libraries and parks. Learn more on our website: https://greenmountainfarmtoschool.org/programs/the-lunchbox/

Sign up for The Lunchbox weekly summer newsletter to stay updated on menus, activities, and special events like our Summer Block Party on June 25th, 3-6pm in Gardener Memorial Park!

https://greenmountainfarmtoschool.us1.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a4776856abf117498b82e4559&id=2704bf76c6