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An Inspiring Year at Central Elementary School

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Central Elementary School (CES) recently closed out a phenomenal year of Farm to School (FTS) programming, wrapping up 12 months of work dedicated to advancing food education at the Bellows Falls area school.

Selected as a participant school for the 2021-2022 Shelburne Farms Northeast Farm to School Institute, CES won a $5000 grant to jumpstart their FTS programming. While the school already had a garden and dedicated food service staff, the funding and coaching provided by the Institute helped to formalize the FTS program and integrate it more fully into the school culture and environment.

A thriving Farm to School program usually involves three key components: the classroom, the cafeteria, and the community. Often, it takes years for a school to be active in these areas, but Central’s team has grown its program from the beginning and has a comprehensive program that reaches into each of these areas.

In the classroom, Farm to School came alive in the 2nd-grade classrooms. Teachers Kate Kane and Judy Verespy worked closely with librarian Jody Hauser to devise monthly programming that included everything from art projects and read-alouds to food preparation and tastings.  

In October, students harvested carrots from the garden, painted carrots with watercolors, and made informational posters about carrots before teaching other classrooms what they’d learned. Food Service Director/Garden Coordinator Erica Frank baked delicious carrot muffins for the entire school. In January, students painted with beet juice and made beet hummus in the classroom. Erica, again tying in the cafeteria, made nutritious and delicious beet brownies for the school food program.  

The third “C” of successful FTS programs is community, and Central Elementary was able to connect with its community in impressive and innovative ways. In March, when the Harvest of the Month was maple syrup, the students visited a neighborhood home that ran a sugaring operation!  They also tasted some “sugar on snow” made by a local (teacher’s!) family. In the spring, local farmers John and Teresa Janiszyn of Pete’s Farm Stand in Walpole, NH, visited the classroom. The farmers taught students about soil and composting, and students planted cucumber seeds. Weeks later, they transplanted these same cucumbers into the fields at Pete’s! What an amazing circular connection between students and the farmers in their communities. It has been a mutually beneficial relationship between the community and Central Elementary this school year, with each gaining and giving benefits to the other. The Rotary Club of Bellows Falls came to help with a Garden Volunteer Day and donated garden supplies. Students received gift cards to buy something at Pete’s, funded by the FTS budget.  

Central’s story is one of success, but it’s only the beginning of their journey, and it has been possible through many dedicated staff members and community support. The Institute helped the team shape an action plan for their program. Principal Kerry Kenedy has supported FTS from the beginning and plans to integrate the program more deeply into the school culture over the years. One step in this process is that next year, the third grade will join the second grade in receiving monthly programming. Physical Education teacher Peter Lawry was integral in planning, building, and maintaining the garden. And Erica Frank has worked to connect the summer school program to the FTS activities throughout the summer.

If you’re curious about all the amazing things Central has been up to, please check out the inspiring book Librarian Jody Hauser made with the students. 

VSECU: Improving the Lives of VT Kids

For our Farm to School team at Food Connects, it's very important that our Farm to School sponsors align with our core values. And when we heard that VSECU’s (a values-based credit union) mission was “To improve the quality of life for all Vermonters,” we knew there was the making for a great partnership.

VSECU’s values-based thinking and focus on the triple bottom line is a demonstration of its commitment to our greater community. As they commit to reinvesting in businesses and our community, they are also reinvesting in our children. This upcoming school year, VSECU will help our Farm to School team supply valuable resources to schools throughout Windham County—from professional development and curriculum development to applying for grants and local food taste tests.

"The Farm to School Program just makes sense,” says Simeon Chapin, Community Impact Officer for VSECU. “Healthy, nutritious food is a cornerstone of a child's preparation for learning. Providing these foods, and teaching kids where their food comes from and how to grow it sets the path for health and vitality for life. It's also an economic lesson in the importance of buying local. Schools are a center of our communities—it's key to connect them to our working landscape and the people who steward it."

We are so grateful for the support VSECU provides to our Farm to School program—living up to their mission of improving the quality of life for all Vermonters, especially the children. Their support helps drive our program forward, and it’s easy to see the impact our sponsors have on schools. Thank you, VSECU, for being a Farm to School champion!

Hubbard Creates a Lasting Farm to School Impact

Hubbard Breeders, located in Walpole, NH, is Food Connects' top corporate donor for its Farm to School program the 2021-2022 school year!

Since 1921, Hubbard has been a worldwide reference for broiler breeding stock. While not a producer for the Food Connects Food Hub, their commitment to animal welfare aligns with the organization’s values. Hubbard is CODE EFABAR certified, which “addresses the issues of food safety and public health, product quality, genetic diversity, efficiency, environmental impact, animal health, animal wel­fare, and breeding and reproduction technologies.”

“With our focus on breeding sustainably, Hubbard shares mutual values with Food Connects for Healthy Families, Thriving Farms, and Connected Communities,” says Anne Hill, Hubbard Breeders Human Resource Manager, “We feel compelled to promote them in their efforts of supporting educators, food service directors, farms, and community members in cultivating healthy farm and food connections in classrooms, cafeterias, and communities across the region.”

The partnership between the two organizations began in late 2021 and goes beyond a donor and recipient transaction. Food Connects and Hubbard took time to connect their teams and figure out how to make a meaningful partnership that would benefit not only the organizations but the community as well. Ideas abounded when the two organizations met including:

  • Ways that they could impact Farm to School in the region 

  • Supporting school horticulture programs

  • Helping grow community and school gardens by providing supplies and resources

  • Presenting in classrooms and job readiness programs to teach more students about the possibilities of agricultural job employment

“Despite the rain, our own April Sears volunteered with Food Connects to donate her time and gave an extra set of hands to Orchard Hill Breadworks to assist with gardening! She helped dig trenches around the community garden and get the plantation freshened up for the spring season! Go to the Orchard Hill Breadworks in Alstead, NH to get some delicious baked goods. If you get an oven brick pizza you can pick your toppings from the community garden that April helped with. Thank you April for helping our community on your spare time, we are pleased to have you as a Hubbard employee. If you come to the main office you will see April as she is our receptionist and you can ask her about her time with Orchard Hill Breadworks. ”

Food Connects is grateful for the opportunity to work with such a strong community partner. Already, Hubbard has supported the growth of the Farm to School program throughout the year and even contributed volunteers to recent Food Connects’ events. The growth of both organizations, in tandem, will surely mean success in the years to come.

Food Connects is an entrepreneurial non-profit that delivers locally produced food as well as educational and consulting services aimed at transforming local food systems. The Food Hub aggregates and delivers from over 150 regional farms and food producers to over 150 buyers in southeast Vermont, southwest New Hampshire, and western Massachusetts. Their educational services focus on Farm to School programming. Acknowledged as a statewide leader, the program supports over 30 schools to increase local food purchasing, school meal participation, and food, farm, and nutrition education. Together these core programs contribute to a vibrant local economy by increasing local food purchases by schools and improving students’ nutrition and academic performance. Food Connects is frequently hired to provide leadership and consulting services for efforts to support food systems initiatives throughout New England and act as a catalyst for change.


Hubbard Breeders is a chicken breeding company, dedicated to improving the communities they work in. If you’ve driven down Cheshire Turnpike lately, you probably saw some fancy chicken houses going up in south Langdon. Those (nearly finished) chicken houses comprise two state-of-the-art farms that Hubbard LLC is starting up. One is called Pleasant Valley Farm after the original farm that was there, and the other is named Centennial Farm in honor of Hubbard’s 100-year anniversary last year. Hubbard’s $13M investment in these farms will bring tax revenue into Langdon and create jobs for the community. If that piques your interest, stop by our office in Walpole and ask for Anne or Lucas!

Farm to School is Thriving in Dummerston

Dummerston School’s Farm to School (FTS) program has been thriving recently, thanks to motivated parents, dedicated teachers, a supportive administration, coaching from Food Connects, and funding support from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture.

In 2018, a group of parents reached out to Food Connects for help planting seeds to grow a Farm to School program at the school. At the time, a couple of teachers gardened with students, but there was no school-wide program. This group of parents met regularly with former Food Connects’ FTS coach Kate Minifie, laying the foundation for school-wide growth and change.  

In the fall of 2019, Julianne Eagan began her tenure as principal. Throughout her career as an educator in the Windham Southeast Supervisory Union (WSESU), Julianne has dedicated herself to student health and wellness, and she immediately saw the value of increasing FTS programming in Dummerston. She joined the FTS team and encouraged several teachers to join as well. Sheila Humphreys took over from Kate as the Food Connects FTS coach for Dummerston, bringing with her longstanding relationships with Julianne and 4th-grade teacher Molly Stoner from her previous work as an educator in WSESU. Administrative support, teacher interest, and strong relationships gave the program the boost it needed to get off the ground!

“I have been so inspired by the Dummerston School community’s passion and commitment to expanding our food production at Dummerston School, integrating the garden into our school curriculum, establishing partnerships with local farms, and realizing the potential of our beautiful and sunny rural campus.”
— Julianne Eagan, Dummerston School Principal

The pandemic slowed progress towards FTS goals at Dummerston in some ways but accelerated them in others. School staff was under tremendous stress with the challenges of pandemic teaching, and outdoor education and gardening were glimmers of hope and joy for teachers and students, sustaining them during this time. Thus the commitment to growing FTS at Dummerston grew.  

When it came time to think about priorities for the 2021-2022 school year, it became clear that hiring a part-time garden coordinator to work in the garden and cook in the classroom with students was an essential next step toward growing the program. The FTS team made contact with Tara Gordon, who was working as a garden coordinator at several other WSESU schools at the time, and she was eager to work with Dummerston students as well.  

With a part-time garden coordinator on staff, Dummerston sought grant funding to increase support and grow their program. With help from Sheila, the team drafted a proposal to the VT Agency of Agriculture and received a $10,000 Farm to School grant. They are using the funds to purchase equipment and supplies to expand the school garden and grow the garden program, create signage for the garden, and bring in guest educators to work with students on food, farm, and nutrition education.  

In addition, the greater school community came together during the summer of 2021 to begin planning and fundraising for a major renovation and redesign of the playground, garden, and forest. On May 14, 2022, after many months of planning, approximately 40 parents, community members, and students attended a work day that included the construction of additional garden beds adjacent to the playground so that students could garden and graze during recess. Space was made in the woods for a forest garden with edible ferns and inoculated mushroom logs. Julianne says it best, stating, “I have been so inspired by the Dummerston School community's passion and commitment to expanding our food production at Dummerston School, integrating the garden into our school curriculum, establishing partnerships with local farms, and realizing the potential of our beautiful and sunny rural campus.” It was definitely heartening to see families and the community coming together to bring these visions to life!

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Farm and Field Day Returns to NewBrook Elementary School!

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After a break forced by the COVID-19 pandemic, NewBrook Elementary School was able to host Farm and Field Day for the first time since 2019. The entire student body took a break from academics to spend an afternoon outdoors learning about food, recycling, and the natural environment.  

A multitude of community volunteers came out to run “stations”—where groups of students rotated through. The Windham County Game Warden, Dave Taddei, had a table full of pelts for students to explore and learn about. Giant Journey Farm brought adult rabbits and kits. Meadows Bee Farm had a faux milking station and taught students about June’s Harvest of the Month dairy. Food Connects made strawberry banana “nice cream” (sweetened only with fruit), and students assembled and ate their own pizzas, cooked by a West River Community Project volunteer. Amy Duffy, the school’s Farm to School Coordinator, made herbal salt scrubs with students. And the team from Windham Solid Waste ran a recycling relay! Art teacher Suzanne Paugh engaged students in making a mural for the garden shed out of recycled plastic!

Parents Elizabeth Erickson and Sara Webb, working with NewBrook’s Farm to School Committee, led the efforts to organize the event. Heather Sperling, the school’s wood-fired pizza expert and Farm to School veteran, and Amy Duffy, the school’s FTS Coordinator, were also central to the effort. Thank you so much to all the community members and families who volunteered to help with this event. Principal Scotty Tabachnick said, “it was just beautiful to see everyone outside, enjoying the day as a community again. We’re so thankful to everyone who supports our school.”

It was a wonderful day for all, and NewBrook Elementary School looks forward to hosting more events for students and families.

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Food Explorers

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This spring, Food Connects and Edible Brattleboro partnered up to run a Food Explorers program at The Boys & Girls Club of Brattleboro. The group was small but mighty, and Food Connects staff had a lot of fun getting to know the club kids and building stronger relationships with the amazing folks at Edible Brattleboro. 

Let’s start with some background on The Boys & Girls Club Flat Street location. Inside the inconspicuous doors is a huge, welcoming space. There are hanging plants, plenty of foosball and air hockey tables, a place to play basketball, a stage, and even an indoor skate park. Upstairs is a tech room and space to play creative games like Magic the Gathering and Dungeons and Dragons. Trust us when we tell you, this place has something special for every child! This location is open to middle and high schoolers from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM, Monday through Friday during the school year, with differing summer hours, and serves as a safe place for kids to learn, grow and have fun. 

In late winter, Food Connects staff gathered with Boys & Girls Club staff to brainstorm ways the two organizations could work together. Excitement filled the air as the idea for the Food Explorers program began to take shape. Soon, Edible Brattleboro, a local organization that works to address food insecurity by building and caring for help-yourself gardens, also joined in, and Food Explorers was born.  

Thanks to Edible Brattleboro's generous donation, we built a grow cart together, started seeds using said grow cart, and planted them in the help-yourself garden at Turning Point Recovery Center. Our Farm to School Manager, Sadie Hunter, joined the kids seven times between May and June to engage them in food and gardening activities. Participating in a growing cycle this way was very rewarding, and we hope these plants will be enjoyed by many all summer long. 

Some of the other activities that we did together the past few months include an activity around light and seeds, a science experiment examining starches, and seed starting in many different ways. 

We hope that we can all continue working together to bring local, yummy food (and engaging Farm to School learning) to our community!

Amy Duffy Is Named Farm to School Champion!

“This school is magical!” is what Ali Tomer, a third-grader, had to say when asked about her experiences with NewBrook Elementary’s Farm to School (FTS) program. Another third-grader, Piper Stafford, chimed in, “I like how we help each other. It feels like we’re all connected because we’re all working on this one thing together, no matter how different we are. And the sugar snap peas are delicious!”

With a degree in Health Science with a Nutrition focus, Amy Duffy hadn’t previously worked with children when she accepted the Farm to School Coordinator position at NewBrook Elementary, but that hasn’t stopped her from having a major impact on their lives. That’s one of many reasons Food Connects recognizes Amy as this year’s Farm to School Champion!

Since beginning in August 2021, Amy has worked with NewBrook students weekly, bringing FTS programming into their classrooms. She’s designed lessons, come up with recipes, run taste tests, and read books to educate students about food—where it comes from and why it matters—the students and staff more than appreciate her efforts. 

Principal Scotty Tabachnick shared, “In the midst of the pandemic, Amy hit the ground running. She quickly built positive and trusting relationships with our students and staff, and through her work, she actually helped us to bring our families to visit NewBrook as soon as the restrictions were lifted. Our students look forward to Amy's enriching lessons; she takes them outside, she has them working with their hands, and she ties new learning with prior knowledge in a natural and effective manner. It makes total sense to me that Amy Duffy's work would have such a positive outcome. Her diligence, positivity, and skill set all add up to benefit our students and NewBrook's programming as a whole. No one deserves (this award) more than her. She’s just been so amazing. Her way with the kids is wonderful.”

When I spent a day with Amy and her students at NewBrook, much of what Mr. Tabachnick said was evident. She is patient, kind, and gentle with students while also keeping them engaged. When students in one class grew agitated with each other, she stopped the garden activities and led them in a mindful breathing exercise. (It worked!). When Kindergarten students made text-to-self connections during a read-aloud, Amy made space for them to share their experiences (“tell us about your bees”). Students were eager to participate in Amy's planned activities, each of which seemed to build on what the students had done in previous weeks.

Later that week, the third-grade class tasted “microgreens” they had seeded and grown in their classroom. Amy set up trays with crackers, cheese, microgreens, and some herbs from the garden. Students made their own gourmet crackers and enjoyed their sprouts. “They are so good! I’m having a third one! It just tastes awesome, cause I like the hotness!” exclaimed Gunner Hackett, referring to the spiciness of the radish greens. 

Staff member Wendy McFadden said this enthusiasm is the norm. “The kids love this. They’re all about it. And Amy is so great. She does tastings with them—they get the movement, the outdoor time, and the education piece. This year the kids are even more into (FTS) because of Amy. She gives them a lot of information, and they retain it.” 

In addition to her position at NewBrook, Amy has also volunteered to be on the new Townshend Elementary FTS Committee, which began meeting in January. She’s a parent at the school and has been instrumental in helping to get a FTS program started there, as well as advising on which activities might be the most engaging or feasible given the school's programming needs. 

Amy has gone above and beyond as the FTS Coordinator at NewBrook. The school and Food Connects are so thankful for her work. She’s applied for grants, picked up donated loads of firewood and compost, fixed up garden structures, and prepared recipes at home for classroom tastings. 

In response to being recognized as our Farm to School Champion, Amy remarked: “I’m genuinely just happy to be able to be part of this wonderful program and work with such dedicated, creative, passionate & motivated people. Everyone involved cares so much for the kids and dedicates so much of themselves to making FTS a success. Not to mention the kids who make it all worth it! I never dreamed how invested and interested in learning the kids would be. It is so encouraging and fulfilling.”

Thank you so much for all your hard work, Amy. We are proud to name you a Farm to School Champion!