By Kristen Thompson
At the end of July, we took a road trip to visit some of the Vermont farms we’re partnering with to feed Vermont schools this year. While Clare Barboza snapped some fantastic photos for us, we took the opportunity to ask the farmers (and co-op) about their work and why feeding Vermont kids with Vermont food is so important. Follow along with us on a visual journey to these Central and Northern Vermont farms!
Deep Root Organic Co-op is one of the oldest co-ops of organic vegetable growers in the United States. The co-op exists to promote local, sustainable, and organic agriculture through its small, family-owned farms.
“In the biggest sense, local economies are what actually drive the livelihoods and wellbeing of communities—and thriving of communities,” says Kara Brown, Sales Manager at Deep Root Organic Co-op.
“Selling our food to local schools gives kids nutritious foods, teaches them about different types of foods, helps them make connections with their food. By selling to local schools, we’re able to fill a need,” Kara tells us, “there’s so much more potential here. Food Connects’ mission is great at advancing that.”
Foote Brook Farm is a member farm of Deep Root Organic Co-op in Johnson, VT. We stop by their farm and farm store to check out the delicious produce they’re growing.
“Food Connects was actually a perfect new customer for us because we don’t do a lot of direct sales. We mostly work with distributors. We are able to supply Food Connects with a volume of vegetables that Food Connects is able to spread out.”
Valley Dream Farm is another Deep Root Organic member farm in Cambridge, VT. Joe Tisbert, the owner and operator of Valley Dream, shows us around.
Joe started farming with cows when he was eight. He’s been on Valley Dream Farm since 1992 and shipping produce to Deep Root Organic Co-op since 2002.
“It’s important to keep food as local as possible. It’s important that people have access to local, healthy food for students and the community,” Joe tells us.
To Food Connects and consumers, he says, “keep buying local. The more, the better.”
Kara from Deep Root Organic says, “It’s always a challenge that things are so unpredictable in farming. Having reliable customers like Food Connects is important. For consumers, being aware of what they’re buying, that connection, and the difference it makes.”
Boyden Farm, also in Cambridge, sells their extra nutritious beef to Vermont schools.
“We’re the only people around feeding flax to cattle. It’s rich in omega-3s. We’re not doing 100% grass. It’s been proven that flax is better,” Farmer and Owner Mark Boyden tells us, “and we feed them grass and corn, too.”
Mark says, “the local food movement keeps us in business and keeps our pastures and fields open. It also keeps the money full circle.”
“I’m excited that working with Food Connects spreads out the risk for our business. And Food Connects specializes in local. It’s not like dealing with [a large distributor]. Food Connects genuinely wants local.”
Mark is excited to be selling Boyden ground beef to schools.
“Utilizing everything from our cows is a challenge. There’s a lot of ground beef on a cow, and buying that beef helps us use the rest of the animal, not just the tenderloins that people want to buy.”
“The big thing is getting kids with the expectation that food is local, and they keep that when they grow up.”
Maple Meadow Farm, out in Salisbury, VT, produces fresh eggs that we deliver to Vermont schools.
“We like knowing we’re supporting and feeding the community we live in and the children growing up here,” Jackie Devoid, Co-Owner and Operator, tells us.
Since COVID-19, Maple Meadow has faced some challenges.
“The biggest challenge the past two years has been finding help and people willing to pay the price we need to stay in business and pay our staff,” Jackie tells us, “it’s harder in dairy. My friends in dairy can’t even afford to get out if they want to or set their own prices. There’s a balance with eggs. You have to price based on the average farm, but also for your workers.”
The local food movement is vital to Maple Meadows.
“That’s all of our customers and keeps us in business and helps us support families here.”
We asked Jackie why getting her eggs into local schools was important to her.
“Just knowing that they’re getting the healthiest, freshest, most nutritious food they can. These little, growing bodies need all the help they can get.”