By Kristen Thompson & Tom Brewton

I think we’ve all experienced these raw moments of working together and making something happen during COVID-19. That need and focus remain present. Killington [Grand Resort Hotel] had this need to provide these food boxes to employees for food security and diets and our relationships with food. Nourishing food can ripple into nourishing relationships and so many other things.
—Heidi Lynch, Executive Director, Vermont Farmers Food Center

This past June, Andrew Graham, Direct Markets Coordinator at the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont, reached out to Food Connects about an exciting opportunity. Killington Grand Resort Hotel (KGRH) was looking to set up a CSA (community-supported agriculture) program offering local food boxes to their employees. This project promised an exciting collaboration with partners across Vermont.

Greg Lang, the Executive Chef at KGRH, was looking for large quantities of vegetables, eggs, meat, etc., from Vermont farms.

Food Connects values and prioritizes working with other food hubs. We know that collaboration and strong relationships are vital to building a vibrant and healthy community and that we can only fulfill our vision when we invite everyone to the table. When this opportunity presented itself, our Food Hub Institutional Sales Associate, Tom Brewton, first reached out to the Vermont Farmers Food Center (VFFC) in Rutland. As an up-and-coming food hub close to Killington, the Food Connects team immediately saw this as an opportunity to collaborate on this project.

Soon after, Emma Hileman, Program Director for VFFC, told Tom, “VFFC’s team discussed, and we feel there is absolutely an opportunity for our organizations to partner to meet the needs of this customer.”

Food Connects and VFFC have been transparent and collaborative in their communications with KGRH. When Tom first reached out to the resort, he made sure to include Heidi Lynch, the Executive Director of VFFC. Heidi also included Tom on an introductory call with Scott Harrison, the Director of Hospitality at Killington Resort.

Food Connects made special hot shot deliveries to KGRH on Monday, July 18th, and Monday, August 15th. Killington then assembled the food boxes and got them out to 250 staff on Wednesday, July 20th, and Wednesday, August 17th. Boxes included cucumbers, zucchini, Eco-Grown apples, organic beets, lettuce, and carrots, kale, green beans, non-GMO sweet corn, cheddar, tomatoes, blueberries, and cantaloupe, to name a few.

We talked to Heidi and Greg to learn more about the impact of this collaboration in their organizations and communities. Stay tuned for part two of this spotlight to read our discussion with them.