Contacts:
Alison Kosakowski, Vermont Agency of Agriculture, 802-828-2179

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

MONTPELIER, Vermont – January 18, 2012 The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, in partnership with the Vermont Farm to School Network, will be awarding the 2012 Farm to School grants at a special ceremony Wednesday January 25th at 4pm. The ceremony will be held on-site at the Farm Show, which runs from January 24-26th at the Champlain Valley Expo Center in Essex Junction. This year five schools will be awarded grants:

Implementation Grants
Stockbridge Central School
The Dorset School
Weathersfield & Albert Bridge School

Planning Grants
Brookfield Elementary
Middletown Springs Elementary

Implementation grant recipients will receive up to $15,000 to initiate a Farm to School program in 2012. Planning grant recipients will receive $1500 to develop a plan for implementing a Farm to School program in the future. Recipients are selected based on a competitive application process.

“The Farm to School grant program enriches our communities by linking local producers with schools. It enables schools to serve students nutritious, wholesome foods and creates new opportunities for local farmers,” according to Chuck Ross, Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets. “We are proud to facilitate this program, which provides hands-on local food and farm education to students in their cafeterias, classrooms and communities.”

The evening will also highlight the efforts of established Farm to School programs. The 2011 grant recipients will be on hand with displays demonstrating how the grant program impacted their school. Organizations that focus on Farm to School and farm and food education will also be displaying their programs.

The Farm to School grant program is in its sixth year and is the result of collaboration between the Agency of Agriculture, Department of Education, Vermont Food Education Every Day, and Department of Health. Secretary Ross and Commissioner Harry Chen will be speaking about how Farm to School is enhancing the health of our communities and contributing to Vermont’s status as one of the nation’s 10 Healthiest States (per America’s Health Rankings).

Wednesday’s event is part of a special evening at the Farm Show called “Consumer Night.” Additional programming during this family-friendly evening will include the first ever “Buy Local Market,” featuring forty-four vendors of locally produced products, and the “Capital Cook-off”, an Iron Chef-type battle between members of the Vermont House, Senate, and Agency of Agriculture.

More information about the Farm Show and Wednesday’s activities can be found at www.vtfarmshow.com