Vermont FEED receives $100,000 grant from USDA for Farm To School Institute

We are excited to announce that as a partner with NOFA-VT in Vermont Food Education Every Day (VT FEED), Shelburne Farms will receive $100,000 from the USDA Food and Nutrition Services to support the Northeast Farm to School Institute!  We’re one of the first two recipients nationwide of this new farm to school grant program that Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) established in the 2019 and 2020 federal budget bills.

It’s a special honor to receive this grant as VT FEED celebrates its 20th anniversary this year!

The Farm to School Institute of VT FEED was launched at Shelburne Farms in 2010 to help schools build enduring farm to school programs that connect students to their local farms and communities, give them access to healthy, local food, and engage them in creating a more equitable food system. The Institute offers professional development, technical assistance, and resources to school teams engaged in nutrition education about local, farm fresh foods. To date, the Institute has supported more than 100 schools and districts across seven states in the Northeast, reaching thousands of students!

We are so grateful to Senator Patrick Leahy for his long-time support and leadership in farm to school efforts, both here in Vermont and nationally.

The success of the Institute has also attracted national attention, with farm to school leaders from around the country attending the institute, then adapting the model to their own states. Farm to school is growing, and we’re proud to be a part of it.

• Read Senator Patrick Leahy’s full press release.
• Find out more about this year’s Institute.
• Find out more about VT FEED.
• This year’s school teams will be announced shortly!