Food Connects Brings Regional Food to MA Schools

Food Connects, a non-profit Food Hub in Brattleboro, VT, is excited to share its newest partnerships with schools across the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts.

Food Connects is a catalyst for food systems change—centering food consumption, education, and distribution around community-based food systems. The organization delivers source-identified foods to schools throughout the Connecticut River Valley. With a strong foothold in Vermont and New Hampshire, Food Connects has looked towards Massachusetts for ways to provide more value to school nutrition programs through regionally-grown and made foods.

And Massachusetts schools are literally eating it up! In the 2021-2022 school year alone, Food Connects has delivered more than $30,000 in regional products to Massachusetts schools. From beef, pork, and chicken to granola, yogurt, and gelato—the variety of regionally grown and made foods now on students’ plates is tremendous. 

Both public and private schools throughout Massachusetts are shifting to regionally sourced food. Food Connects is thrilled to see the diversity of locations and types of schools—ensuring that all students have access to the same great food.

Private Schools

Northfield Mount Hermon (NMH) is a private boarding school and one of the leaders in the local food movement. When D.L. Moody founded the girls’ and boys’ schools, the schools’ farms were at their core, feeding the student body. And though the farm isn’t the only source of food for the school, it is still a core part of its culture and heritage. 

On Friday, May 6th, 2022, NMH hosted its first Food Systems Teach-In since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a day when the high school curriculum centered on food and food systems. And the classrooms weren’t the only thing full of food systems thinking—the dining hall menu for the day centered on regionally sourced foods.

Food Connects offered many regional products from regional producers, including:

• Deep Root Organics

• Frisky Cow Gelato

• Hurricane Flats

• Maine Grains

• Red's Best

• Big Picture Beef

• Boyden Beef

• Vermont Bean Crafters

• Czajkowski Farm

• Old Friends Farm

• The Bread Shed

Tom Brewton, Food Connects Institutional Sales Associate, tabled at the event during lunch hours and was able to share with students and faculty about the regional products featured on the menu. Laura Carbonneau, Food Connects Marketing and Outreach Manager and NMH alumnae, joined students in the classroom, speaking about the Farm Bill, climate resiliency, food, and food systems. The response from students in the dining hall and the classroom was enthusiastic and engaged—lots of “yums.”

Deerfield Academy (DA), located in Deerfield, MA, is another boarding school for high school students in the Pioneer Valley. DA is proud to boast a Farm Team, a group of students who help out at two local farms with harvesting and garlic preparation projects. Working with DA for the first time this school year, Food Connects has delivered various products, including strip loins from Big Picture Beef and burger patties from Robie Farm.

Eaglebrook School is a 6th through 9th grade all-boys boarding and day school also located in Deerfield, MA. This year alone, the school has purchased 3,672 pounds of ground beef from both Big Picture Beef and Boyden Beef.

Public Schools

Food Connects has a history of working with public schools throughout Vermont and New Hampshire, providing high-quality, regionally-sourced foods. The Food Connects team takes pride in extending those same products and services to public schools throughout Massachusetts’s Pioneer Valley.

Greta Shwachman, Food Service Director for Greenfield Public Schools (GPS), is passionate about integrating local products into her menus. This is no surprise, as she was previously the Farm to School Program Coordinator for the Chicopee Public Schools. Her passion for Farm to School has made adding regionally sourced foods to her menu seamless. 

“Institutions like K-12 schools hold a lot of purchasing power,” says Greta. “I prioritize buying regionally-sourced foods to ensure that this power is used to support the local food economy. I enjoy the opportunity to meet farmers and producers, and help local food businesses grow and scale to have more success in the institutional market.”

Food Connects has supplied the GPS, which consists of 6 different schools, with ground beef from Big Picture Beef, bulk yogurt from Narragansett Creamery, and granola from True North Granola Company. And not just food but also promotional marketing materials, so students can connect with their food and the farmers.

“I believe that students should know where their food comes from,” says Greta. “And I enjoy working with Food Connects because they understand the importance of putting a face and a name with a product. I have appreciated the signage they have sent us, which includes background on the producer, and even the number of miles the product traveled to reach our cafeterias.”

Earlier this year, Tom met with Michael Onorato, Food Service Director of the Pioneer Valley Regional School District (PVRSD). Coincidentally, Michael was already familiar with Food Connects—he was previously the Food Service Director for Conval Regional School District, another school district Food Connects serves. To date, Food Connects has supplied the PVRSD with various products, including apples, potatoes, carrots, and eggs. 

Food Connects is also working with Massachusetts Farm to School, whose mission is to “strengthen local farms and fisheries and promote healthy communities by increasing local food purchasing and education at schools.” The organization, aligned with both the Vermont and New Hampshire Farm to School programs, serves as a vital lifeline for Massachusetts schools to access support, curriculum, and other resources to develop Farm to School programming.

Food Connects will participate in the Local Food Networking Session on Thursday, June 16, from 3:00 to 4:30 PM in Greenfield at the John Olver Transit Center. This event will be a spring get-together for K-12 school nutrition professionals in Franklin County. The event will include vendor displays, sampling, presentations, and discussions. And while the focus will be on local food procurement, there will be discussions on other topics. The event is being co-organized by the Partnership for Youth at FRCOG (Franklin Regional Council of Governments), Greenfield Public Schools, and Western Mass Food Processing Center at the Franklin County Community Development Corporation. If you are a school nutrition professional and want to learn more, you can register for the event today. 

If you are a food service director, work in a school, and would like to integrate more local foods into your menus, Food Connects would love to support you! At this time, their customer routes go from Brattleboro, VT, down I-91 as far south as Northampton, MA. Know that our routes are quickly expanding so we would be happy to hear from you even if you don’t fall within our existing geographic reach in MA. Please reach out to their sales team at sales@foodconnects.org.

Frisky Cow Gelato Certifies as a B Corporation

Frisky Cow Gelato has been certified as a B Corporation joining 12 other NH B Corp businesses, committed to the highest standards of social and environmental responsibility.

Keene-based gelato producer, Frisky Cow Gelato has announced today its certification as a B Corporation (or B Corp), joining a growing group of companies reinventing business by pursuing purpose as well as profit. 

Frisky Cow Gelato has been certified by B Lab, the not-for-profit behind the B Corp movement, as having met the highest social and environmental standards which represent its commitment to goals outside of shareholder profit. To receive this certification, Frisky Cow Gelato underwent a rigorous assessment that measures and verifies the entirety of a business's operations and covers five key impact areas of Governance, Customers, Community, Environment, and Workers.

“We wanted to focus on more than just the bottom line with Frisky Cow Gelato, which is why we incorporated as a NH Benefit Corporation in 2018,” says owner, Linda Rubin. “This means we were legally committed right from the start to doing environmental and social good.” 

According to Ms. Rubin, the B Corp certification process took nearly two years requiring the business to reach a benchmark score of over 80 while providing evidence of socially and environmentally responsible practices relating to energy, supplies, waste and water use, worker compensation, diversity, and corporate transparency. In addition, every company must legally embed their commitment to a purpose beyond profit in their company articles which Frisky Cow Gelato did when it incorporated in 2018.

Frisky Cow Gelato is now part of a community of 4,600 businesses globally (13 in New Hampshire) who have been certified as B Corps. The B Corp community in the US, representing a broad cross-section of industries and sizes, comprises over 900 companies and includes well-known brands such as Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc., Cabot Creamery, King Arthur Baking Co., Tom’s of Maine, and Pete & Gerry’s Organics. In New Hampshire, Frisky Cow Gelato joins well-known local corporations including Badger and Mascoma Bank.

Frisky Cow Gelato has a history of social responsibility. Since its inception the company has donated a portion of its revenue to nonprofit organizations building the local food system including Food Connects, the Monadnock Farm and Community Coalition and the Cheshire County Conservation District. In 2021, the company launched a Keene State College signature flavor – Mint Owl Crunch – and donates a portion of the sale of every pint to address food insecurity among KSC students. 

“As a NH Benefit Corporation sourcing ingredients, services, and other goods from local companies was extremely important to us, says Rubin. “Donating a portion of our revenue to area non-profits was also high on the list.” 

Jorge Fontanez, CEO of B Lab US and Canada, says “We are delighted to welcome Frisky Cow Gelato to the B Corp community. This is a movement of companies who are committed to changing how the business operates and believe business really can be a force for good. We and the rest of the B Corp community are really pleased to support Frisky Cow Gelato in paving the way for a new way of doing things in the food sector”. 

“When businesses are intentional about meeting social and environmental standards—and focus on more than just the bottom line—we can all affect change while making ourselves more competitive along the way,” says Ms. Rubin. “That’s what the B Corp movement is all about, using business as a force for good.”

About Frisky Cow Gelato Founded in 2018, Frisky Cow Gelato specializes in creating premium artisan gelatos that are dastardly delicious. Their products are sold in more than 50 retail stores in NH, VT, and MA. They also operate a gelato scoop shop in Keene and provide a gelato bar for weddings, parties, and community events.  Frisky Cow Gelato creates all its gelatos from scratch at its licensed NH dairy processing facility on Krif Rd in Keene.

Frisky Cow Gelato is a NH Benefit Corporation and certified B Corp and donates 2% of its annual revenue to local organizations working to build the local food system, fight food insecurity, and address environmental issues. 

About B Corporations Certified B Corporations are leaders of a global movement of people using business as a force for good. They meet the highest standards of overall social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability and aspire to use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. There are more than 2,000 Certified B Corporations in over 130 industries and 50 countries with 1 unifying goal – to redefine success in business.

About B Lab B Lab is a nonprofit organization that serves a global movement of people using business as a force for good. Its vision is that one day all companies compete not only to be the best in the world, but the Best for the World®, and as a result society will enjoy a more shared and durable prosperity. For more information, visit www.bcorporation.net and www.benefitcorp.net.

Frisky Cow Gelato Expands with New Local Food Production Facility

Frisky Cow Gelato (FCG) continues to grow, expanding production in a new Keene facility, proving the growth of consumer interest in locally produced food.

Frisky Cow Gelato (FCG), a Keene-based specialty food producer, has expanded its operation to a new 1,500 square foot production/retail facility located at Union Place (80 Krif Rd) in Keene.  The company, which produces a premium small-batch gelato made from local ingredients, is currently outfitting the new space to continue production there beginning in March 2021. The business, which makes homemade gelato for wholesale distribution in NH, VT, and MA, saw its food sales increase by 65% since the pandemic struck, highlighting the rising consumer demand for local food. 

“We are so excited to be able to continue on this journey of producing a premium artisan gelato made with farm-fresh local milk, cream, and other local ingredients,” says owner, Linda Rubin.

In addition to about 1,100 square feet of production space, the unit has about 400 square feet of retail space. The new space will allow for increased wholesale production and designated space for retail sales. “I never envisioned FCG having a retail gelateria—but since the pandemic, I’ve learned to “never say never,” says Rubin. The retail space will be open for limited hours for customers to stop by and pick up both specialty and signature FCG flavors. Look for hours on the FCG website soon.

FCG is committed to collaborating with local producers to ensure the highest quality products and to support other local producers. Last year, FCG partnered with Terra Nova Coffee owner, Jeff Murphy, to create a homemade coffee syrup using their organic coffee and espresso varieties. FCG’s Coffeehouse Chip flavor now carries the Terra Nova logo on all of its pint labels. “To build our local economy and our local food system, we need to continue to support each other’s businesses,” says Rubin. “In 2021, we are working with our new neighbor, The Bread Shed, to create a cookie dough gelato using their homemade dough.” 

“Linda and I have been working together on this new flavor since the summer,” says Brittany Migneault, owner of the Bread Shed. “Customers love our soft-baked homemade cookies, and I’m excited to be working with FCG to expand our products to be part of a really great local gelato.” 

The continued growth of FCG helps the struggling New England dairy industry while also contributing to the growth of NH’s local food system and economy. “Growing our local food system has been a driver for me for more than 25 years living and working in NH”, says Rubin. FCG plans to source pasteurized milk and cream from NH farms, including Contoocook Creamery at Bohannon Farm in Contoocook, NH.

According to the Roberston family, owners of Contoocook Creamery at Bohannon Farm, selling value-added products to partners like FCG helps to sustain their 5th generation family farm in NH. The Farm currently sells milk, cheese, beef, and eggs—both wholesale and retail—to more than 100 food businesses. “We’re looking forward to working with Frisky Cow. Their gelato is excellent, and we’re proud to be a part of its growth as a NH-based business,” says Robertson family spokesperson, Jaime Roberston.   

Food Connects, an entrepreneurial non-profit located in Brattleboro, VT, delivers FCG and food from more than 90 local farms and food producers to over 135 wholesale customers in parts of NH, VT, and MA. In the past year, they have helped FCG to get on the shelves of at least 10 new area retailers. The organization makes it easier for food businesses to buy wholesale from small local food producers and farms. “Food Connects is proud to be able to increase the capacity of FCG and so many other small producers, to grow their businesses by supporting them to reach new markets,” says Executive Director and Food Connects Founder, Richard Berkfield. Building shorter, more community-based supply chains that are less reliant on national or global networks and food suppliers ensures the local food system continues to grow, according to Berkfield.

FCG saw its sales increase by 65% since the pandemic hit, and keeping up with higher demand for their local gelato required a larger and more improved infrastructure. “I realize we are very privileged to have the problems of rapid growth while so many businesses are struggling or closing,” says Rubin. “The future may still be uncertain, but we believe that everything “local” will continue to grow in importance in NH and beyond.”

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Frisky Cow Gelato is a small batch, premium, artisan gelato made with local ingredients and lots of love in Keene, New Hampshire. It is available for special events (weddings, parties, etc) and for wholesale for restaurants, grocers, coops, and farm stores. It is also sold at its new retail shop at Union Place (80 Krif Rd) in Keene. 

Frisky Cow Gelato is a NH Benefit Corporation and donates $.15 from the sale of every pint to local organizations that are working to build the local food system, fight food insecurity and address environmental issues. 

For more information, visit www.friskycowgelato.org, email at lrubin5010@gmail.com or call 603-757-2522.

Local Gelato Company Donates to Keene State College

Frisky Cow Gelato (FCG), a gelato company based at Stonewall Farm in Keene, NH is donating to a new fund at Keene State College that supports activities to increase access to local food, bolster sustainability initiatives, and address issues of food insecurity for students.   

On March 3, 2020, FCG introduced a new custom flavor, called Mint Owl Crunch, to retail stores. The new flavor, described as “dark Belgian chocolate with all-natural mint flavor and crunchy red and white candy “owl pellets”, was developed by gelato artisan and company owner, Linda Rubin, as a special tribute to Keene State College (KSC). 

“Keene is a college town and I’m proud of the many roles KSC plays in helping to make our region of the state a very special place to live, learn, work and play in,” says Rubin. More than 400 students, faculty and staff were involved in the creation and naming of the dedicated flavor with special support from the college’s food services provider, Chartwells.  According to Rubin, $.15/pint of the sales from the Mint Owl Crunch will be donated to KSC for activities that address environmental and food insecurity issues. 

Frisky Cow Farm Products, Inc is a woman-owned business and an NH Benefit Corporation with a triple bottom line.  In addition to growing profits, the company is also dedicated to being a force for good in the community and the environment. The company also donates $.15/pint of sales from other flavors to local non-profits working to grow our local food system. 

Frisky Cow Gelato is sold at Keene State’s Lloyd’s Marketplace. It is one of several local products offered to students since Chartwells’ Higher Education became the new food service provider in August of 2018. According to Director of Campus Life, Jennifer Ferrell, KSC is nationally recognized for its commitment to sustainability which includes supporting projects that increase access to local food for students and faculty. 

“One of our foundational values as a public institution is sustainability,” says Ms. Ferrell. “Our partnership with Frisky Cow Gelato is in direct support of our plans to increase access to local food, bolster sustainability initiatives, and address issues of food insecurity amongst our students. According to the 2019 #RealCollege survey, administered by the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice and taken by nearly 167,000 students from 171 two-year institutions and 56 four-year institutions, 39% of respondents indicated they were food insecure in the prior 30 days.  

 “I think it’s critical, especially in rural communities, for people to invest in their local economies, take care of each other, support products, farms, restaurants, colleges, shops, and salons that bring color and vibrancy to our neighborhoods and towns and strengthen our local economy,” says Rubin.

Frisky Cow Gelato is currently being sold in 30 grocery stores, coops, restaurants, farm stands, and farm stores in parts of MA, VT, NH, and CT. 

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For more information, visit www.friskycowgelato.org, email at lrubin5010@gmail.com or call 603-757-2522. Instagram: #eatfrisky; Facebook: @friskycowgelato

About Frisky Cow Gelato: Frisky Cow Gelato is a small batch, premium, artisan gelato made from organic milk, sourced from local New Hampshire farms practicing regenerative agriculture.  It is a healthier and more flavorful alternative to American ice cream with half the saturated fat, fewer calories, and less churned-in air. Everything is made from scratch using organic and local ingredients (ie,  coffee, maple sugar, berries) are used when possible.  

Frisky Cow Gelato is a woman-owned NH Benefit Corporation dedicated to growing profits and being a force for good in the community and the environment. FCG is made at Stonewall Farm in Keene, NH using organic milk from their herd.  Stonewall Farm is the “Scoop shop” for the company during the summer months. A percent of sales are donated to area non-profits working to improve access to local food. Environmental goals strive to minimize the company’s carbon footprint.

Producer Spotlight: Frisky Cow Gelato

Frisky Cow Gelato is one our new products at Food Connects (and something seems to get quickly consumed from our staff freezer). This locally-made, creamy, and delicious product will be sure to satisfy your sweet-tooth.

Owner and founder, Linda Rubin, spent nine years working at Stonewall Farm in Keene, NH (the last working dairy farm in Keene) and several more years serving on their board of Directors (1995-2011). She dreamed about ways to make the farm's dairy more profitable, therefore contributing to the long term sustainability of the educational non-profit. When her son, Zach got married at Stonewall Farm in September 2017 she began thinking about the dairy operation again.

"It's not easy to be a small non-profit with a dairy farm on it—dairy farms are closing all over the country. I was really inspired to do my small part," said Linda Rubin. “The farm had a creamery that was not being used so I pitched the idea of starting Frisky Cow Gelato—leasing the creamery, purchasing organic milk, and donating a portion of the revenue from the business to Stonewall Farm.”

Linda had her first taste of gelato in Florence, Italy when as a high school chemistry teacher she chaperoned 60 students on a summer trip throughout Europe. “I remember people waiting at gelaterias (shops that serve gelato) for an hour or more each night to be served. I never forgot that taste!” Not only did she gain a love for gelato while in Italy, but she also studied the art of gelato-making at the Italian Carpigiani University in Chicago.

Frisky Cow Gelato is great tasting, high quality, artisan gelato made right in our own back yard. Made with 100% organic milk, it is also gluten-free, and made in small batches from scratch with no artificial preservatives, colors or flavors. It is a low overrun frozen treat that is full of rich, fresh flavor, and made with local ingredients whenever possible. She also purchases maple cream from Ben's Sugar Shack in Temple, NH, coffee from Prime Roast in Keene, NH, blueberries from Monadnock Berries in Troy, NH, and strawberries from Stonewall Farm. 

“I think its important, especially in a rural part of the country, for people to invest in their communities, to support the farms, restaurants, shops, and salons that bring color to our neighborhoods and strengthen our local economy,” said Linda. “I see being a part of the local food movement as a way to provide local jobs, work with local farmers and specialty food producers, and contribute to the state's tax base. The local food movement is also important because it begins to address critical issues relating to food insecurity, open space, climate change, energy consumption, and our agricultural heritage.”

And what about that name? “I gave my gelato the name, Frisky Cow, because I wanted it to be a very accessible and fun treat—not something you would only eat in Italy.” And boy, are we glad we can get this tasty treat right here!

Want a taste of this great gelato? Frisky Cow Gelato will be at the Keene Farmers’ Market beginning in May, the Food Truck Roundup Thursday nights in June and July at the Retreat Farm in Brattleboro, the Strolling of the Heifers event in Brattleboro on Saturday, June 8th, and a celebration of National Ice Cream Day at Stonewall Farm on July 20th .