As the growing season comes to an end, some in the food community are looking ahead to next year.
There are now several grant funders accepting applications to assist schools as they work to establish or grow farm to school programs.
Applications for the Vermont Farm to School Grant Program are due by noon on Friday. The program, now in its 10th year, aims to improve nutrition by connecting schools and food producers.
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture offers three categories of grants: Planning and Pilot; Implementation; and Universal Meals, a new program intended to help schools to offer meals to all students — regardless of their families’ income levels — at no charge.
More information about the grant program available at agriculture.vermont.gov/producer_partner_resources/funding_opportunities/vaafm_funding/farm_to_school.
Applications are due on Monday by 5 p.m. for The Nature Conservancy’s $2,000 Nature Works Everywhere grants, which help schools build, amend or revitalize garden projects. Such projects include rain gardens, vegetative buffers, wetlands restoration, pollinator gardens, food gardens and projects that address climate change or other environmental challenges. More information about the grants can be found at natureworkseverywhere.org/grants.
The Whole Kids Foundation, founded by Whole Foods Market to improve children’s nutrition and wellness, also is accepting applications through Monday at 5 p.m. for school garden grants of $2,000 for edible educational gardens at K-12 schools. The application is a blueprint of everything necessary to start or maintain a garden program. More information available at wholekidsfoundation.org/schools/programs/school-garden-grant-program.
A farm to school conference is scheduled for next Wednesday and Thursday at the Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee.
Workshop topics include: curriculum design, a field trip to the Gladstone family’s Newmont Farm in Fairlee, child nutrition programs, composting and funding. There will also be a local foods dinner featuring a talk by Betti Wiggins, executive director of the Detroit Public Schools Office of School Nutrition.
More information available at vermontfarmtoschoolconference.org.
Grow-A-Row for Newbury Elementary School will host an end of season meeting at the school Nov. 3 at 2 p.m. in the cafeteria.
The meeting will give participants an opportunity to reflect on the growing season and make suggestions for the future.
Those who can’t make it can send their thoughts to Caroline Nininger at Caroline@woodenhousecompany.com.
The Lyme School is seeking donations of maple syrup for its Farm to Table program, which aims to provide locally produced food to students. Donations may be dropped off at the school, according to Lyme School Principal Jeff Valence.
A group of organic farmers and their supporters plan to gather at Cedar Circle Farm in East Thetford on Sunday at noon for a Rally in the Valley.
The group, which includes Upper Valley farmers from Killdeer Farm in Norwich, Sweetland Farm in Norwich, Hurricane Flats Farm in South Royalton, Root 5 Farm in Fairlee, Luna Bleu Farm in South Royalton, Sunrise Farm in White River Junction and Long Wind Farm in East Thetford, does not believe that the National Organic Standards Board should allow fruits and vegetables grown hydroponically to be labeled “organic.”
The event will also include a tractor parade, food from the Skinny Pancake, pizza from the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont and music from Pooh Sprague and the Four Hoarsemen.
Featured speakers will be U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.; U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt. and Maine farmer Eliot Coleman, a leader in the organic food movement.
More information about the event is available online at keepthesoilinorganic.org.
Nora Doyle-Burr can be reached at ndoyleburr@vnews.com and 603-727-3213.
