Progress through Partnerships
We are very happy to share that at the end of May Salvation Farms signed a short-term
Green Mountain College’s Farm and Food Project to expand research on producing and integrating frozen Vermont produce into the state’s food system, specifically the charitable food sector.
Throughout the summer and fall months, this partnership will develop a line of minimally-processed frozen local produce for use at food access points in the Rutland region that serve vulnerable populations; the young, elderly and hungry. This work will serve as a pilot for the Vermont Commodities Program which we aim to expand to serve emergency food organizations, nursing homes, schools and other institutional type kitchens in the future.
The partnership makes use of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture’s flash-freeze unit located at Green Mountain College and their new commercial kitchen. The contract is made possible by funding from Jane’s Trust and produce processing will take place in the Solar Harvest Center Commercial Kitchen.
Surplus farm produce will be collected through the Rutland Area Farm and Food Link (RAFFL) Grow-a-Row program, a food access and gleaning program now in its fourth year. Grow-a-Row distributes fresh locally grown produce to meal sites and emergency food shelves weekly during the growing season. Salvation Farms is working directly with the Grow-a-Row coordinators to refine the program’s operational systems in hopes of increasing their efficiency and ability to rescue more surplus farm produce from the region’s farmers. This is in line with our history as one of the oldest organizers and advocates for gleaning in Vermont.
What a wonderful arrangement for Salvation Farms. We are getting the opportunity to test our role as the technical adviser and consultant through the Vermont Gleaning Collective as we actively explore the development of the Vermont Commodities Product line.
There couldn’t be a better arrangement in our first year of developing new programs; both of these partners are longtime friends and supporters of the Salvation Farms’ vision. We are so very grateful to Green Mountain College for opening the door to engage and partner with us as we build our foundation. We look forward to sharing more from these partnerships as we proceed through the season.
Until then – be well, eat well!
Theresa
We humbly thank the following businesses and organizations for their generous financial support; they are a valuable assets and vital partners in our work.
Fedco Seeds, Action Circles, Vermont’s Local Banquet, Tuberville, HA Manosh Corp., Sterling College, American Flatbread, Rock Art Brewery, Levesque Ins., Applecheek Farm, Baird Farm, Beadniks, Hunger Mountain Co-op, Cabot Creamery Cooperative, Vermont Hydroponic Produce, Caledonia Spirits, Custom Sportswear, Poulin Lumber, Laraway Youth & Family Services, New England Grassroots Environment Fund, Marlboro Graduate School, Gardeners Supply, Budgetools, Concept 2, Area Agency on Aging of Northeast Vermont.
We also want to thank Sargent & McKinney for reworking our old color logo.
Make your donation today. Send a check payable to Salvation Farms to:
PO Box 1174, Morrisville, VT 05661.