The Taste of Food Connects is Back!
Farm to School Impact Report
Summertime Success
The Recipe Box
Happy Farm to School Month!
FTS Thank You
July 2021 Quarterly Newsletter
2020 Annual Report
Sustaining Donor Challenge
Farm to School Reflections
New England Cheese Hits the Road
Employee Giving Success
Round up For Food Connects
The Monadnock Restaurant Project Receives Praise
Taste of Food Connects Builds Community
Food Connects successfully wrapped up our 2020 Taste of Food Connects initiative in late November—raising over $6,000 for the organization and promoting 75 different local businesses in the Brattleboro and Keene regions.
The Taste of Food Connects was a two-part event—a Silent Auction to raise money for Food Connects Annual Fund and a Local Passport to encourage community members to shop locally and support small, local businesses. “We are so grateful to all the individuals and businesses that participated in this event,” says Richard Berkfield, Food Connects Executive Director. “We are working hard to strengthen our community ties and fortify a resilient local economy. It is truly humbling to see so many people from both sides of the river, coming together and supporting our efforts to build community during these challenging times.”
The Silent Auction, along with donations from individuals and local businesses raised $6,036 for the organization, well over the goal of $5,000. These funds will support Food Connects Farm to School and Food Hub programs, and our mission to build Healthy Families, Thriving Farms, and Connected Communities. Over 75 local businesses and artisans donated auction items to help raise these funds. “Thank you to each and every donor who made this event possible,” says Laura Carbonneau, Food Connects Marketing Manager. “We couldn’t do our vital work without the support from our community members. And a special thank you to Vivace Realty LLC, Tito’s Taqueria, and Ganio Land Management for sponsoring our programming.”
The Local Passport was a point of pride for the organization—generating excitement and business as local shoppers supported restaurants, groceries, and other locally-owned stores. 23 different local businesses in the region participated, as customers purchased local products all vying to win the top prize of $1,000! In the end, nine local community members won $1,850 in cash and gift certificates to spend locally this holiday season. “We’d also like to thank our prize sponsors, Vivace Realty LLC, the Monadnock Food Co-op, Green Energy Options, Yahso Jamaican Grille, and Brown & Roberts for their generous donations and help to make our event a huge success,” says Carbonneau.
“Our goal was to bring together community members in a fun and unique way to bolster our local economy,” says Berkfield. “It was inspiring to see how we were able to build bridges and celebrate local—an encouraging sign for the year to come.”
If you are interested in supporting Food Connects and their work or to become involved in future initiatives, head to www.foodconnects.org/donate or email development@foodconnects.org.
Announcing the Taste of Food Connects
Food Connects will host the first Taste of Food Connects from November 1 to 21. This event brings together over 90 local businesses throughout the Windham County and Monadnock Regions to celebrate our vibrant local economy. This unique event is part Local Passport, benefitting local businesses, and part Silent Auction, supporting Food Connects’ annual fund.
The idea for this event came as a response to COVID-19 putting a damper on Food Connects’ initial fundraising plans for the fall. “Typically we’d bring together a number of local chefs to feature locally grown and produced foods,” says Laura Carbonneau, Food Connects’ Marketing Manager. “That just wasn’t a safe option this year. So we thought: how can we hold a fundraiser for our programming and support local businesses during these challenging times.” And the Taste of Food Connects was born.
So how does it work? From November 1 to 21, shop at any of the 21 participating businesses—when you spend $10 or more you can add a sticker to your passport. After three stickers you can be entered to win one of nine great prizes, including $1,000 to spend at local businesses or however your family needs this holiday season. Multiple passport entries are encouraged.
“The team at Food Connects hopes that this program will help encourage community members to shop at local businesses,” says Carbonneau. “We understand how COVID-19 impacted and continues to impact our community partners and we need to continue to fortify and strengthen our local economy. We are stronger together and the community needs us all to shop locally this holiday season.”
The culmination of this program ends with a 5 days virtual silent auction from November 16 to 20 to support Food Connects annual fund. Food Connects, a 501c3 non-profit, continues to grow despite these challenging times. Their Farm to School programming continues to develop unique ways to support schools through COVID-19 and leverage opportunities for increased food security. At the same time, the Food Connects Food Hub continues to grow and be a regional leader in fortifying local food infrastructure.
“Our goal is to raise $5,000 for our programming,” says Carbonneau. “We strive to create healthy, families, thriving farms, and connected communities—we couldn’t do this work without the generous support of our community and donors. This is a great opportunity to get your holiday shopping done while supporting a great cause. The silent auction features amazing bundles of products and services from local businesses, encourages community members to shop locally, and provides us with the much needed operating revenue. Thank you to all of those who will support us through this auction.”
To learn more about the Taste of Food Connects head to www.foodconnects.org/taste-of-food-connects.