Contacts:
Koi Boynton, Agency of Agriculture

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Montpelier, Vt – The Vermont Agency of Agriculture in partnership with the Vermont Farm to School Network, recently announced the recipients of the 2011 Farm to School grants at a special ceremony at the Statehouse cafeteria.

The Vermont Farm to School grant program is in its fifth year and works to improve kids’ diets by linking local producers and schools. The grant program encourages schools to engage students in their local food system by incorporating local food and farm education in their cafeterias, classrooms and communities.

“By bringing food, farm and nutrition education to our students, we are building a generation of consumers that will support our working landscape - they will have a deeper understanding of what agriculture means to their own health and the health of our environment and economy,” said Secretary Ross. “We are very proud that USDA recommends the Vermont Farm to School program as a prototype for other states. I want to thank Senator Leahy for procuring funds to make the Vermont Farm to School program such a success and thank the students who have embraced this initiative.”

This year, grants were awarded to eight schools. Four are implementation grants and four are planning grants. Schools who received grants in 2010 were on hand with displays demonstrating how the money had made an impact on their school and the important role the grants played in bringing more local foods to their cafeteria while making connections with local farmers. “Gone from the cafeteria are the sugar and preservative laden treats,” said Willa Burke, an eleventh grader from Cabot. “Now my classmates are excited about an apple for dessert.”

“When local food becomes the norm and not the novelty our work will be complete,” said Abbie Nelson, Director of VT FEED.

“Farm to School programs demonstrate exactly what we want to see at our schools,” said Commissioner of Education, Armando Vilaseca. “Hands on applied learning that results in improved health.” After hearing from four students from around the state on the importance of their Farm to School programs, Vilaseca encouraged each of them to continue to use their voice to affect social change.

According to Koi Boynton, Farm to School Coordinator with the Agency of Agriculture, Farm to School in Vermont has proved to increase fruit and vegetable consumption at Vermont Schools. Thanks to grant funding from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) secured by Shelburne Farms on behalf of their Vermont FEED partnership with Food Works and NOFA-VT, the Vermont Farm to School Network has been working over the past year to evaluate Farm to School. Though the study has not yet been released Boynton reported, “After surveying 632 students around the state, early results show that students with active Farm to School programs are exceeding the recommended daily consumption of fruits and vegetables. It is estimated that over 50 percent of Vermont students participating in Farm to School programs are exceeding fruit consumption as compared to a national study of that reports only 24 percent, and over 31 percent exceed vegetable consumption. Shelburne Farms will submit the final report to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in the coming months and thank Senator Leahy for securing the CDC funding.

2011 Farm to School Grant Recipients

Implementation Grants
Mt. Anthony Union Middle School
Richmond Elementary
South Royalton School
St. Jonsbury School

Planning Grants
Addison Northeast Supervisory Union
Bakersfield Elementary & Middle School
Tinmouth Elementary School
Tundbridge Central School