Teachers returning from April Break found a special delivery at their doorsteps: Sprout Kits! These kits contain a bucket of soil, seeds, tin trays, and instructions for sprouting your own edible pea and sunflower shoots.
Check out what teachers across Vermont are saying, along with some fun photos!
“The Kindergartners in my class LOVED using the sprouting kits. It really brought to life our science study of living vs. nonliving things, and it was a tasty snack that was enjoyed by all. Thank you Food Connects!”
- Amelia Fontein, Kindergarten Teacher, Academy School
“These photos are from Union Street School, Springfield's garden club. The students loved their sprout kits. I heard lots of exclamations of, "They are growing!!!!". I included a picture of our courtyard where we also have garden beds that we are working on. Thanks for the lovely opportunity.”
-Jan Rounds, School Counselor, Union Street School
“We enjoyed planting our seeds today--we are turning them into gifts for Mother's Day, and the kids couldn't have been more excited to plant their seeds, pat down the dirt, and are ready to watch the seeds grow!”
-Jennifer Dodge, 2nd Grade Teacher, Elm Hill School
Elm Hill Sprout Kits
We were able to offer these kits for free thanks to the generosity of several local businesses. Browne & Roberts Ace Hardware, Coast of Maine, and Blue Seal donated soil, while Tito’s contributed 2,000 takeout trays—and, yes, that’s why the kits might remind you of burritos! New Chapter’s generous donation helped cover the cost of supplies that weren’t donated, like seeds.
A huge thank you to Retreat Farm for letting us use their space to assemble the kits, and an extra shoutout to Retreat Farm staff members Laura and Amy for jumping in to help put them together. This community project was only possible because of the amazing support from our local partners.
Additional thanks to the administrative staff in the front offices who helped receive and distribute kits to all 2,100 students at: Academy School, BUHS, Central Elementary in Bellows Falls, Dummerston School, Elm Hill Elementary School, Flood Brook School, Grafton Elementary, Green Street School, Guilford Central, Jamaica Village School, Little Fireflies Family Childcare, Marlboro Elementary, Mulberry Bush ELP, Newbrook, Oak Grove, Springfield Pre-K, Putney Central, Riverside Middle School, Springfield High, Suzy’s Little Peanuts, Townshend Elementary, The Family Garden, The Garland School, The Pumpkin Patch, Timson Hill Pre-K, Union Street School, Vernon Elementary, Wardsboro Elementary, Westminster Center School, West Bee Nursery, Wild Strawberry Forest School, Winston Prouty, and Wonder in the Woods.
Want sprout kits for your students? Keep an eye out for next year’s sign-up sheet coming in February 2026!
Written by Adelaide Petrov-Yoo