The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded $99,990 in funding to Food Connects in its latest round of awards. One of two Vermont grantees, Food Connects will leverage these funds to develop new supply chains focused on meeting the needs of school nutrition programs. 

To increase the impact of the project, we are collaborating with three Farm to School partners—Vital Communities, Green Mountain Farm-to-School, and VT FEED. This collaboration connects local food systems to larger regional networks, allowing for the creation of new supply chains and specialty products to move throughout the state. 

We will amplify our current outreach efforts, reaching more schools and developing a broadened customer base for local farms and producers. In partnership with VT FEED, we will also increase its support to school nutrition professionals (SNPs) through new professional development opportunities and procurement training.

“This grant is a natural next step for Food Connects and will help us grow to meet the needs of the moment,” says Richard Berkfield, Food Connects Executive Director. “Interest in the Food Hub—and local food in general—skyrocketed in the wake of COVID-19 and we continue to see unprecedented demands placed on school nutrition professionals working to cope with an unpredictable future.”

COVID-19 greatly changed the landscape Food Connects operates in since originally writing the grant. While the grant goals remain the same, implementation will likely vary and need to be flexible in order to remain relevant. Notably, SNPs throughout the state are grappling with new restrictions and limitations put in place in response to the pandemic. To-go meals and delivering multiple days worth of food at a time have become the new norm. 

We have also seen positive changes post-COVID: a new value placed on local food, consumers more concerned about supply chain resilience, and an appreciation for the role school nutrition plays in children’s lives. With this project, Food Connects and its partners will lay the groundwork for a decentralized, regional alternative to the national monoliths, enabling schools and consumers to buy a variety of products locally, sustainably, and easily.