In Grateful Reflection
Salvation Farms has known for years that a significant amount of wholesome produce remains on Vermont farms every season. Our 2016 food loss on Vermont farms study confirmed this by uncovering an estimated 14.3 million pounds of edible vegetables and berries stay on farms each year, never to be eaten. The mere act of gleaning cannot respond to all this food. Additional approaches are needed. Large volumes of donated surplus fruits and vegetables could serve charitable outlets; think food selves & senior meal programs - while large volumes of purchased surplus fruits and vegetables could help meet institutional meal program needs; think prisons, schools, and hospitals. Ten years ago we started testing models that could respond to the abundance remaining on Vermont farms. We are proud to share this historical timeline of Salvation Farms exploration and piloting efforts to develop a Vermont Commodity Program through creative collaborations. We are grateful in our reflection for the partnerships and community engagement that made it all possible and we are hopeful about the future of this work.
Surplus potatoes not suitable for distribution in their whole, raw form are transformed into a minimally processed, easy to use frozen product.
Inspired by the original USDA food program of the 1930s that responded to national farm surplus and widespread malnutrition, Salvation Farms’ Vermont Commodity Program was envisioned to evolve into a for-profit, non-profit, and State collaboration that would make use of Vermont’s surplus farm food to help meet the nutritional needs of Vermont residents.
2011
Salvation Farms revisited 2008 conversations with the Vermont Department of Corrections about partnering to provide farm and food based vocational training to inmates, an effort that would result in Vermont eating more locally.
Theresa proudly displays one of Salvation Farms first frozen food products: sweet corn frozen but ready for a quick reheat and eat!
2012
Salvation Farms began minimally processing and creating frozen foods from surplus produce gleaned by and in partnership with the Rutland Area Farm & Food Link (RAFFL) using the commercial kitchen at Green Mountain College (Poultney) and the State of Vermont’s mobile flash-freeze unit. In the fall of this year, Salvation Farms also launched a minimal processing and frozen food production project at Harlow Farm (Westminster), utilizing the farm’s commercial kitchen. Both of these projects engaged community volunteers in the work of processing and packaging surplus produce. All resulting frozen products were provided for free to community food programs for use and product testing.
“I use squash in many dishes - muffins, cubed in salads. This is a "mandated vegetable" for our program – a source of vitamin A” - Brattleboro Senior Meals
“My group kids like string beans. They were a different texture for them because they are used to getting canned vegetables when fresh is not there for them” - Rutland County Parent Child Center
In total, these first minimal processing ventures created frozen products using 10 different crops. Approximately 5,565 servings were provided to 9 different community-based food programs in Vermont’s Windham and Rutland counties.
Blemished butternut squash transformed into a ready to heat and eat puree.
This year, Salvation Farms also entered into a relationship with the Vermont Department of Corrections to provide vocational experiences in large scale produce cleaning and packing for inmates at the Southeast State Correctional Facility (Windsor). The launch of this work included a seven-day run of cleaning and packing more than 30,800 pounds of surplus potatoes into 10 pound bags for charitable distribution through the Vermont Foodbank. All spuds made their way into and out of the facility through Salvation Farms relationship with Black River Produce. Governor Shumlin came to the facility to tour the potato packing operation, met all of the men involved in the program, and to speak to the media about the initiative.
Featured in the Rutland Herald, Vermont’s former Governor Shumlin chats about the potatoes and process with one of the men who participated in the launch of the produce packing partnership between Salvation Farms and the Vermont Department of Corrections. (AP/Wilson Ring)
Several of the men commented that their families might actually get to use some of these potatoes and that felt good to them. When asked what it meant to them to be involved in this project at the Southeast State Correctional Facility, the following answers where provided:
“It meant a peaceful place for me to work while I did my time”
“Glad I could help. Would be proud to help again.”
“The work was easy and had a good purpose.”
“It was nice to put some good back into the community and help the needy.”
“It felt very rewarding.”
“It meant something positive that I contributed in.”
Potatoes sorted, bagged, and ready to ship out of the Southeast State Correctional Facility, destined to feed folks across Vermont.
2013
Salvation Farms began using commercial kitchen space at the Vermont Food Venture Center (Hardwick), continuing our exploration and creation of frozen food production using Vermont’s farm surplus crops. In this space our staff and AmeriCorps VISTA members engaged volunteers in processing crops like sweet corn and winter squash. Over the course of two years, 7 different crops were transformed into frozen food products. More than 7,100 servings to 11 community-based food programs for product testing including school food service, Meals on Wheels, food shelves, and nursing homes resulted.
“Having the prep work done for us is great. Saves us time and labor costs. Also gives us more time to be creative with our menus.” – Laraway Youth & Family Services
“I didn't notice any difference from what I purchase from Sysco, with the quality of the product.” – Meals on Wheels of Lamoille County
Volunteers remove the skin from cooked winter squash, preparing it to be cooled and bagged for freezing.
AmeriCorps VISTA, Laurel shows off the resulting kernel sweet corn after a long day in the kitchen.
2015
In partnership with Meals on Wheels of Lamoille County (Morrisville), a Vermont Community Foundation funded project was launched to test the ease and uncover the challenges for a prepared meal site to minimally process and freeze gleaned produce for their own use out of season. In two years, this project processed 8 different crops resulting in approximately 2,860 servings of local produce going into the freezer at Meals on Wheels of Lamoille County. In addition to Meals on Wheels discovering a new way to engage volunteers and incorporate more local produce into their home delivered meals, a minimal processing toolkit for prepared meal sites resulted from this partnership project.
This year Salvation Farms wrapped up our three-year relationship with the Southeast State Correctional Facility – an impactful partnership that resulted in the engagement of 50 incarcerated men who helped clean and pack more than 270,000 pounds that ended up in 16 different charitable food programs in Vermont (including the VT Foodbank who makes food available to roughly 220 programs across the state). Produce from this collaboration also made its way into charitable food programs in Boston and Keene NH. Many of the men appreciated the opportunity to volunteer with this program at Southeast State Correctional Facility. When prompted, these are some of the reflections the men offered:
Being involved in this work has meant to me ….
“This has meant a lot to me. Being involved with an organization like Salvation Farms made me open my eyes to the amount of help that can be given with focused individuals.”
“I feel great about my participation in the greater good. Giving and not expecting much in return.”
Through this work I have learned…
“That I am not just a number per say, but rather a valued individual still no matter the choices of my past. In doing so I have a chance to prove myself.”
“That there’s a lot of crops left over from farms that could still help feed the community (schools, foodbanks, shelters).”
“With the help of dedicate and well trained community members, produce no longer has to go to waste.”
I see that this type of work can offer inmates…
“A chance to feel human again, connect with the outside, as well, discover the value that we still attain.”
“It will offer inmates good training and a sense of being part of the community again.”
“This is a chance to give back to our communities.”
“A great chance to show that they want to be positive members of the community.”
“A chance to give back to the community and see that all the good work and time I’ve put into this has been for a good cause.”
I see that this type of work can offer Vermont…
“Better health, community ties, stronger economy.”
“Less food/crops from being throw out to waste and also helps the economy around the state.”
“It gives to both the community and us who are incarcerated the chance to better our lives and helps the community, I find the opportunity to help the community an opportunity I could not pass up.”
Carrots, ready to be boxed and distributed to charitable food programs.
Shortly after ending crop handing and inmate work offerings at the Southeast State Correctional Facility, we began exploring how large scale surplus crop aggregation and vocational education could happen within a community setting. In the transition period of fall 2015, we packed thousands of pounds of apples at two community-based locations with support from volunteers: Vermont Farmers Food Center (Rutland) and Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (Richmond).
A Rutland area volunteer joins us at the Vermont Farmers Food Center to bag 5,045 pounds of surplus apples. The resulting cases were distributed to 9 charitable food programs in Rutland County.
Surplus tomatoes washed and quartered, ready for freezing and future use by Meals on Wheels of Lamoille County
2016
Salvation Farms opened and operated Vermont's only surplus crop food hub (Winooski) for three and a half years. The food hub was unique in the nation. All incoming and outgoing product was surplus from Vermont farms with operations made possible through a post-harvest handling and light manufacturing workforce training program for individuals facing barriers to employment. With large scale cleaning, packing, and frozen food production under one roof, this was the culmination of years of pilots and the final stage in testing the feasibility of surplus crop food hub operations paired with experiential education and job training.
Salvation Farms’ workforce development efforts occurred in partnership with the VT Dept. of Labor, Community Action, VocRehab, Creative Workforce Solutions,Probation & Parole, Community Justice, Pathways VT, among others.
During our time operating the surplus crop food hub and training program, 31 individuals completed training, 90% of whom transitioned into employment or continuing education programs. These trainees packed and processed 11 different crops from more than a dozen Vermont farms were joined by more than 440 volunteers who contributed a combined 2,740 hours. The hard work of trainees and volunteers resulted in the distribution of more than 1.6 million servings of produce in its whole, raw form to 19 food programs in communities nearest to the food hub including our workforce development trainees, 9 charitable food programs in Vermont (including the Vermont Foodbank), and 5 outside Vermont. Additionally, trainees and volunteers generated nearly 20,000 servings of frozen products that were distributed to 20 Vermont based programs (including the Vermont Foodbank).
Vermont Commodity Program trainees receive, clean, quality assess, process and package Vermont’s surplus produce for distribution across Vermont and the Northeast while gaining diverse and transferable employment skills.
Nearly 70% of trainees reported changes in food system knowledge and food choices as well as an increase in self-esteem and confidence after completing job-training with Salvation Farms. When trainees where asked to reflect on their experience working and learning with Salvation Farms' Vermont Commodity Program (VCP), these are a few of the responses we received:
“I really enjoyed the program. I miss you guys. Hope more and more people know about the program. It helps out a lot if you have things getting in the way of employment.”
“VCP was really a perfect match for me given the timing, my readiness, desire for a bridge from unemployment and health related employability…Now I have the job I have dreamed about for the past 3 years and without VCP I'm not sure if it would have happened the way it did. I really owe a debt of gratitude and appreciation for carrying me from one side to the other. I have an income now!”
“It's been great working here. We’ve met a lot of challenges together and we got the job done. I've learned from you how important it is to put forth an effort into helping the community and what that feels like. It's awesome. I can never thank you enough for what you've done for me. I plan on volunteering in the future to help my community because of what I have seen this program accomplish. I hope you realize that all your effort, stress, hard work and dedication has been worth it making a huge impact on improving the quality of peoples’ lives and making Vermont a better place to live in. I wish Salvation Farms success and good fortune in the future.”
“There's not enough people like you in the world. It would be a better place if there was. Whenever things get tough at work, just remember how many people you've helped and how important you are to people with nothing.”
“I'm proud of the work I have accomplished throughout my tenure with Salvation Farms. I've further developed my communication, drastically improved my teamwork capacity, embraced some new philosophy and perspective towards life through the relationships I've established here…I sincerely value the program, it's agenda, and most of all everyone who participated in our cause. Again thank YOU!”
2020
Currently, Salvation Farms is evaluating eight years of operational and experiential education data and procedures. Defining goals to move this critical work forward in Vermont. Creating resources to provide technical assistance and exploring partnerships to aggregate and process surplus food, maximizing cross-sector collaboration, and building food system resilience - seeding solutions that are knitted into the food system for longevity and stability. Our team is very excited for what the future holds and the partnership to be forged and deepened bringing elements of the above vision back to life. Our gratitude for those who have helped bring our vision to life is immeasurable.
Salvation Farms launches a series of conversations with two informational sessions, gathering stakeholders from northeast Vermont, presenting to and engaging attendees in dialogue around a vision to establish key partnerships that will commit to develop farm surplus management strategies to serve Vermont’s northeast region farmers and eaters.