On Friday, August 2nd, volunteers from Food Connects joined staff at The Winston Prouty Center to prepare donated cucumbers for their annual Prouty Pickling Fundraiser. Present were Kris Nelson, Farm to School Program Manager; Sheila Humphreys, Farm to School Coach; and Elyse Morckel, Marketing Coordinator. They teamed up with Winston Prouty staff, led by Sueno LeBlond, for a fun-filled morning of pickling.
Sueno, who serves as an Early Childhood Outreach Specialist and Early Learning Express Bookmobile Librarian, led the volunteers with infectious joy and energy. This year marked her debut as the lead for the fundraiser, taking over from Nancy McMahon. Back in 2018, Nancy, then an Infant Childcare Specialist, was concerned about the quality of food for young children. Alongside Child & Adult Care Food Program Specialist Kristy Rose, they developed a garden space at the center. After attending a Farm to Early Childhood Education workshop at Shelburne Farms on the art of pickling, the team decided to put their new skills to use by planting a large number of cucumbers for pickle making. This initial effort gave rise to Prouty’s Pickles, aimed at funding garden upkeep for the years to come.
In addition to their pickle fundraiser, in 2021 they were awarded a $1,000 VT Farm to Early Care Grant for gardening supplies and kitchen equipment. The following year, they received a $10,000 VT Farm to Early Care Grant, which funded upgrades of kitchen appliances including a new oven, to support the preparation of nutritious food for about 50 children daily. With this grant, the center also acquired additional gardening supplies & kitchen tools, including improved irrigation, fencing, grow lights, an apple grinder, a tabletop cider press, canning equipment, and a portable cooking cart for classroom cooking demonstrations.
There was no shortage of cucumbers for the volunteers to process; nearly 100 pounds of donated cucumbers came from Wild Carrot Farm (Brattleboro, VT), Pete's Farm Stand (Walpole, NH), and Upinngil Farm (Gill, MA). Local growers' contributions have helped the fundraiser expand beyond the capacity of the center's garden space. The whole group embraced a spirit of camaraderie and creativity as they worked together to find the most efficient ways to complete the day's tasks. Sheila prepared the pickling brine while Kris and Elyse joined Paula Schwartz, Development Assistant and Farm to School Team member, to wash and cut the cucumbers. At the same time, Nora Harrington, Assistant Teacher and Farm to School Team member, guided preschool students in preparing their own pickles, giving them hands-on experience and encouraging their excitement for trying the finished product. The morning activities brought joy and laughter not just to the kids but to Kris and Elyse who playfully dubbed themselves “the pickle people”.
In addition to the local growers and Food Connects staff, the fundraiser team thanks Honor Woodrow, ELC Director; Community Based Services staff Don Freeman, Nancy McMahon, Stephanie O'Brien, and Heather Sullivan for their volunteer support. Together, they produced 82 jars of pickles, which will be sold at an upcoming fundraiser later this month. All proceeds will benefit the Farm to Early Education Program, helping with supplies like seeds, hay, and equipment. Stay tuned for the final announcement on when the pickles will be available for purchase by following The Winston Prouty Center on Instagram and Facebook!