Green Mountain Farm-to-School

11/06/2026

We have been busy these past couple weeks offering unit lessons to kindergarten, first grade, and second grade classes across our member schools!

Kindergarteners, in order to learn more about local farm animals, have had fun acting out a day in the life of a cow, making their own butter from cow’s milk, creating felt balls from sheep’s wool, and dissecting chicken eggs. 🐄🐑🐔

First graders have been learning all about fall produce such as apples, pumpkins, and corn and have traced an apple tree through the four seasons, acted out the life cycle of a pumpkin plant, and made popcorn from corn kernels. 🍎🎃🌽

Second graders have dived into their seed unit and have been learning all about the diversity of seeds, what seeds need to grow, and what the inside of a seed looks like. 🫘🌱🌾

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This post was written by our Farm-to-School Coordinator, Ada Potter. AI was not used to generate this content.

11/06/2026

This November, we’re celebrating the ever-hardy Winter Squash as the Vermont Harvest of the Month.

Winter Squash is a perfect staple crop for many reasons. Here are some of the reasons we absolutely love winter squash:

- It produces high yields - more bang for your buck!
- Squash can be stored for several weeks and months.
- It is a great source of vitamins & minerals, also high in fiber.
- Squash can be used in both sweet and savory dishes, and features well as a side dish or main entree.
- It comes in so many different fun shapes and colors!
- Did we mention, it’s delicious?!

Squash is also one of the oldest known domesticated crops - around 12,000 years - and very culturally significant to indigenous communities throughout the Americas. There are many different ways to prepare winter squash, from roasting to stuffing to pureeing for soup!

This year, we’ve partnered with Deep Meadow and Cedar Circle to offer local organic winter squash at a school-friendly price point to be featured in school lunches throughout Vermont!

Located along the banks of the Connecticut River in East Thetford, Cedar Circle Farm & Education Center is a non-profit educational organic farm complete with a bustling farmstand, coffee shop, commercial kitchen, native plant nursery, retail greenhouses, cut flower garden, and diverse educational programs. We are excited to welcome Cedar Circle to Farm Direct's Harvest of the Month order schedule this year for the first time.

Further down the Connecticut River Valley in Ascutney sits Deep Meadow Farm-Organic. With over 50 acres of nutrient-rich soils, they produce a variety of organic vegetables, herbs, and flowers. This year, we’ve partnered with Deep Meadow on a number of Harvest of the Month crops, including winter squash. We are pleased to be able to offer high-quality organic produce at a price point that works for our school customers - Deep Meadow’s Delicata is truly a delicacy for school meals!

Tell us your favorite ways to enjoy winter squash in the comments section below!
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This post was written by our Food Access & Logistics Coordinator, Hilary Rosa. AI was not used to generate this content.

10/28/2026

This year’s Fall Garden Clubs are already coming to a close! Students across Troy, Newport Town, and Charleston spent after-school hours exploring their school gardens in various ways. They created unique artwork, amended soil, planted garlic, and made simple dishes with their harvests. Some students even helped to plan and execute a solution for poor water drainage, with one third grader remarking, “this is hard work, but I’m having so much fun!”

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This post was written by our Farm-to-School Coordinator, Anna Belle Warren. AI was not used to generate this content.

10/27/2026

It's time to elevate your Taco Tuesday menu 🌮🌮🌮

We've got a new producer on the list. All Souls Tortilleria is a Burlington-based bakery and a tortilla staple for Vermonters. All Souls bakers flatten fresh balls of dough in a wedge press before they go into a carousel oven, where they emerge puffy with air bubbles. The team makes tortillas fresh to order, then freezes them for a longer shelf life, making these tortillas a great choice for schools.

Farm Direct customers can order corn or flour varieties; both contain simple, clean ingredients and taste incredible.

Learn more about All Souls here: https://www.allsoulsvt.com

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This post was written by our Food Hub Operations Director, Meggie Patton. AI was not used to generate this content.

10/23/2026

With election season just around the corner, Hunger Free Vermont has put together a resource for understanding the candidates’ positions on issues of Food & Farm Security. 🍴

Is Food & Farm Security important to you? Make an informed vote this November 3rd! ☑️

Check out the Vermont General Election Candidate Guide on their website:

2026 Vermont General Election Candidate Guide to Food and Farm Security Early voting is already underway in Vermont, and we’re headed toward the November 3 general election. Hunger Free Vermont, Vermont Foodbank, the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont, along with partners in achievin...

10/20/2026

This season, we have been working with Northeast Kingdom schools to celebrate October's Vermont Harvest of the Month: Apples! From field trips to Seven Saplings Farm's orchard, to c***r pressing right outside the classroom, to apple recipes and taste tests in the kitchen, the students at our schools have had the opportunity to learn about and celebrate apples in all their delicious forms.

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This post was written by our Farm-to-School Coordinator, Claire Murphy. AI was not used to generate this content.

10/14/2026

The NEK Together conference is just a few weeks away, and we’re excited to attend!

Hosted by the NEK Collaborative, “The NEK Together conference is the Northeast Kingdom's premier annual regional gathering, bringing together municipalities, businesses, nonprofits, institutions, state and federal agencies, legislators, community members, and leaders to strengthen collaboration and determine shared regional priorities.

This year’s convening, for the first time ever, will be in Essex County! November 4, 2026 in Island Pond’s Municipal Gymnasium, 49 Mill Street, with breakout sessions taking place throughout downtown, focusing on current regional priorities, including housing, healthcare, climate resilience, rural education, workforce and entrepreneurial development, and working lands.”

Learn more and register today at: https://www.nekcollaborative.org/nektogether

10/13/2026

Our Farm-to-School programming returned to schools in September during the fall harvest season! We had so much fun working with our partner schools to prepare six Harvest Dinners for students, teachers, and community members.

Across every school, we led workshops with K-8 students who harvested fruits and vegetables from their school gardens and then helped cook delicious chili, cornbread, roasted root vegetables, coleslaw, kale chips, and even beet brownies to serve at the dinners!

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This post was written by our Farm-to-School Coordinator, Ada Potter. AI was not used to generate this content.

10/07/2026

Did you know that Efficiency Vermont isn’t just for homeowners?

They have programs to benefit schools, farms, and food businesses, too! This includes a wide range of rebates available for equipment such as refrigeration, heating, ventilation, reverse-osmosis systems, cow milk pumps, lighting, and more!

With professional energy advisors and contractors on staff, they are ready to save you money. They also have financing available for projects that will result in greater energy-efficiency for your home or business. Learn more at: https://www.efficiencyvermont.com

With winter fast-approaching, Efficiency Vermont will be hosting a series of FREE webinars focused on weatherization to help you get more bang for your buck. With costs on the rise, it’s a great time to learn how you can make your home or business more energy-efficient!

Register for any of the FREE webinars at: https://www.buttonupvermont.org

10/05/2026

Nothing says fall in Vermont quite like apples, which is why we’re excited to feature them as October’s Vermont Harvest of the Month! 🍎

This month, Green Mountain Farm Direct is distributing 96 cases of apples from Hall’s Orchard to schools across the state to incorporate into their menu planning and farm-to-school educational programming.

Family-owned since 1828, Hall's Orchards is one of the oldest orchards in the state. Based in Isle La Motte, the orchard offers many different apple varieties, pick-your-own apples, and fresh c***r in season. Owner-and-operator Allen Hall works hard to keep prices affordable so Vermont schools can purchase local apples throughout the fall.

Did you know that there are over 14,000 varieties of apples grown in the United States? Farm Direct has some great varieties available on our product list from Champlain Orchards, based in Shoreham, VT.

We hope you get out to pick your own apples or support your nearby orchards by buying your apples locally this fall!

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This post was written by Green Mountain Farm-to-School's Food Hub Account Manager, Emma Radeka. AI was not used to generate this content.