Katie Hosts Food Systems Workshop at Twin Valley High School’s 'Belonging Summit'

On May 31st, Farm to School Coach Katie Morrison hosted a workshop at Twin Valley Middle High School's first annual ‘Belonging Summit’. The goal of the summit was to build understanding and empathy across the school community and to introduce students to the activism of local social justice organizations.

Representing Food Connects, Katie presented a workshop titled “From the Soil to Your Plate: What Does Food Have to Do with Social Justice?” The workshop began with a cheese taste test that asked the students to consider all the steps the cheese took on its journey to their plates.

Students then engaged in an activity in which they envisioned what their ideal food system would look like, looking to solve challenges such as food insecurity, pay inequity, unsafe working conditions, climate change, and environmental degradation. Students came up with inspiring visions of a food system that included community gardens, local food, and food security.

Food Connects is proud to be part of a network that works to educate local youth about food systems and social justice.

Katie Joins Dairy in the Classroom as an Educator

We’re excited to announce that Farm to School Coach Katie Morrison is joining the Dairy in the Classroom (DITC) program as an educator - making this popular program more accessible to schools across southern Vermont. Katie brings a wealth of experience, having worked with dairy cows for a decade at the Putney School's Elm Lea Farm.

Dairy in the Classroom, sponsored by Shelburne Farms, is an engaging educational program that explores dairy farming and dairy foods. The program consists of two in-class lessons followed by a field trip to a local dairy farm. Lessons are led by a DITC educator like Katie and feature hands-on activities like making butter, ice cream, dairy dips, and cheese.

If you're interested in hosting a Dairy in the Classroom program in your classroom or would like more information, please email Katie at Katie.morrison@foodconnects.org.

Oak Grove School Visits Miller Farm as Part of Dairy in the Classroom Program

Oak Grove School's third-grade class, led by teacher Logan Snow, recently visited Miller Farm, an organic dairy farm in Vernon, VT. The field trip was the culmination of the class's participation in Shelburne Farms' Dairy in the Classroom program.

Dairy in the Classroom (DITC) connects VT schools with local dairy farms to teach students about cows and milk production. Before the field trip, Food Connects Farm to School coach Katie Morrison and DITC educator Kelly Knudsen visited the class for two dairy-focused lessons. Students learned about cows, dairy products, and dairy farming through interactive activities that included dressing up as a cow, singing "The Hay Song," making butter and dairy dips, and playing a "from a cow or not from a cow" game.

Upon arriving at the farm, students were excited to see cows but a bit unsure about the new smells, as many had not spent time on a farm before. The group toured the facility where Miller Farm bottles their own milk, sampled some chocolate milk, visited the newest calves, sat on a tractor, and interacted with cows in the pasture. The trip was a resounding success, even for initially hesitant students. They left with a deeper understanding of the work involved in raising cows and producing milk for their cafeteria.

Dairy in the Classroom, sponsored by Shelburne Farms, is an engaging educational program that explores dairy farming and dairy foods. The program consists of two in-class lessons followed by a field trip to a local dairy farm. Lessons are led by a DITC educator and feature hands-on cooking activities like making butter, ice cream, dairy dips, and cheese.

To learn more about Dairy in the Classroom, which offers in-person and virtual lessons, visit their website.

Grafton Elementary Hosts Garden Work Party

Grafton Elementary School recently held a successful 2-day work party to begin installing new raised beds for their gardens. The beds were partially funded by the Windham Foundation, as part of their mission to support educational programming in Grafton.

Students from the after-school program, parents, and family members enthusiastically cleared the areas designated for the raised beds. They then assembled the beds, which will soon be filled with rich soil and compost. The beds will be home to a variety of vegetables, flowers, and pollinator-friendly plants.

3rd and 4th-grade teacher Vanessa Stern plans to start seeds with her class in the near future. The crops will include potatoes, squash, tomatoes, and a small ‘3-sisters garden’ featuring corn, beans, and pumpkins.

It's inspiring to witness students forging meaningful connections between the food they eat and how it’s grown. Click to learn more about our Farm to School programming.

Putney Central School’s Sugaring Symposium Connects Classroom, Cafeteria, and Community

Putney Central School recently held its 4th Grade Sugaring Symposium. This event, organized by 4th-grade teacher Jen O’Donnell, was a culmination of the 4th grade's unit on maple syrup production. The event was a fantastic example of incorporating the 3 C’s of Farm to School: Cafeteria, Classroom, and Community. The unit included students tapping trees in the schoolyard, boiling sap to make maple syrup (in partnership with Dummerston's Bunker Farm), completing projects on topics related to sugaring, publishing a sugaring-themed newspaper, and hosting a maple badge design contest. 

At the symposium, students shared their sugaring projects with family and community members. The projects included a variety of interdisciplinary topics, including sugaring weather, forestry and sugaring, grading maple syrup, and the history of maple sugaring. Symposium attendees, which included parents, siblings, teachers, and other community members, traveled from display to display to hear from students about their projects. Visitors also had the opportunity to taste different grades of syrup, compare real and fake syrup, and sample baked goods made with maple syrup. 

The project displays were followed by a pancake dinner featuring the maple syrup that the students helped make in partnership with Bunker Farm in Dummerston, VT. Families sat down together to eat pancakes topped with syrup that came from sap collected from schoolyard trees. After dinner, The Maple Times newspaper published by the class was presented to the gathered friends and families, and students received maple badges for completing the unit. PCS food services director Steve Hed and 4th-grade paraeducator Libby North, both members of Putney Central’s Farm to School team, were also instrumental in making the symposium happen. The evening was a fun, informative and delicious way for students to share what they had learned about maple syrup and sugaring!

Celebrating West River Education District's Jake Gallogly for Innovation and Advocacy in School Meals

Jake Gallogly Food Service Manager at West River Education District and Chef Ann Cooper

We're thrilled to hear that Jake Gallogly, Food Service Manager at West River Education District (WRED), has won the 2024 Innovation & Advocacy Award from the School Nutrition Association of Vermont and Hunger Free Vermont! Jake's outstanding work embodies the essence of our Farm to School program and its mission to change the food landscape in our schools.

Jake's Mission: Healthy Food, Engaged Students

Jake took over WRED's school nutrition program with two clear goals—improve food quality and increase student access. In just two years, his dedication has transformed the program into a model for innovation, student engagement, and, most importantly, healthy, delicious meals.

From Scratch Cooking to Local Farms

With initiatives like securing the Chef Ann Foundation's Get Cooking grant, Jake has made scratch cooking a cornerstone of the school's meals. He even invites chefs from WRED elementary schools to use Leland & Gray's facilities, spreading the benefits of homemade food within the district. Local, fresh ingredients take center stage, fueled by sourcing from Food Connects and direct partnerships with neighboring farms—most notably, organic milk from Miller Farm.

Summer Meals and School Gardens

Jake understands how food security extends beyond the school day. His successful summer meals program provided crucial nutrition for students, highlighting the importance of year-round access to healthy food. His role on the school's Farm to School team and advocacy for district-wide programming demonstrate his commitment to food education. He was instrumental in the creation of a school garden last year, and plans for a greenhouse promise even more fresh produce and student involvement. It's a testament to Jake's dedication that students learn not only where their food comes from, but can have a hand in growing it.

Advocacy Beyond the Kitchen

Jake isn't stopping within the school walls. He's actively testified before the Vermont Legislature about the importance of Farm to School programs, becoming a vital voice for food policy. He shares his expertise and enthusiasm with colleagues across the state, inspiring others to take similar steps to transform their own school meal programs.

Why We Celebrate Jake

We deeply admire Jake's passion and innovation. The benefits of nutritious, locally sourced foods are immeasurable for our children. Jake's work isn't just about better lunches; it's about healthier, more informed students, a stronger regional food system, and a genuine community connection to the food on their plates.

Join us in Congratulating Jake!

Please join us in offering huge congratulations to Jake Gallogly on this well-deserved recognition! His hard work reminds us that positive change is possible, one meal, one garden, and one passionate individual at a time.

Learn More and Take Action:

Let's all support the changemakers like Jake who are creating a better future for Vermont's students!