Summer Solstice 2023
In Their Own Words: Dany Boyle, Youth & Volunteer Projects Coordinator with the Stowe Land Trust
"I first heard of Salvation Farms and the work they do through my AmeriCorps host site, Stowe Land Trust. My main interests are agricultural land protection, farmworker rights, and food system access – a perfect values fit to the incredible work done at Salvation Farms! Land conservation and diversified farming have an intertwined present, and future, as acreage of accessible farmland dwindles within Vermont. Agriculture land conservation is a wonderful mechanism to keep our working farmland as working farmland and can be a critical tool in increasing land access opportunities to new farmers who would otherwise be barred from establishing farms. Protecting farms protects our communities – and it is clear Salvation Farms is dedicated to this work."
"This alignment was my motivation to reach out about completing my Independent Service Project with Salvation Farms. Over the remainder of the summer, I will be supporting logistics work centered around inventory workflow and asset mapping. For me there is no more satisfying work or service than that which stewards the land and supports the community. Farms are the lifeblood of our society. I’m overjoyed to be a part of a meaningful mission to support Vermont’s food sovereignty."
Dany is originally from Vernon, New Jersey where she received an undergrad degree in Biology followed by obtaining a PhD in Neuroscience at Ohio State University. About two years into that career path, Dany realized it wasn’t a fit and moved to Vermont in pursuit of a career transition into the climate resilience movement.
Vermont Commodity Program: Then - Now – Future
Did you contact a legislator on our behalf? We are grateful for your support and the efforts of our dedicated legislators, specifically those who serve on the House and Senate Agriculture and Appropriations Committees. Together we are working diligently towards a common goal. In February, we made a compelling appeal to the Vermont House, urging them to consider a vital request. We sought $500,000 in one-time funding to be included in the state budget in order to propel our Vermont Commodity Program (VCP) forward.
We established the VCP to streamline the aggregation, cleaning, quality assessment, processing, and packaging of surplus food produced in Vermont. This extends beyond traditional charitable endeavors, encompassing purchasing assistance to institutions such as prisons. By establishing robust infrastructure and expanding processing capabilities, we can enhance surplus crops’ shelf stability and accessibility. Utilizing locally grown produce is pivotal in fostering resilience and bolstering the development of our local food system.
While we eagerly await the state’s budget progress, we write to inform you of our request and its significance. If approved, this would mark a significant milestone, enabling us to establish a permanent surplus crop aggregation and processing center, creating stability for this work’s future.
To have Vermont’s legislature include Salvation Farms’ funding request in the proposed State budget signifies the importance of our mission to use nutritious, locally grown food that would have remained on farms in our state to feed more people today and into the future. We are pleased by the thoughtful consideration our legislators gave this request.
Salvation Farms regularly serves over 10,000 individuals primarily residing in Vermont’s four northeast counties. By establishing our own center, we could extend our reach to thousands more. In the past, we have cleaned and packed more than 732,000 pounds of surplus crops, created more than 10,650 pounds of frozen food, distributed to food shelves and meal programs in Vermont as well as out-of-state sites in Boston, New Hampshire, and Virginia, including 11,000 pounds to VT prisons. With this new facility, we will be able to receive, clean, process, and package surplus produce through purchase and donation, moving larger volumes of locally-grown food while increasing and extending shelf-life.
The realization of this project holds immense potential for expanding our impact in Vermont and promoting sustainable food systems development. The surplus produce available on Vermont farms is too great for collection and distribution in raw form alone. Market development and processing must be part of Vermont’s approach to using more food that remains on our state’s farms. Your support helps us get there!
Salvation Farms has been actively exploring the feasibility of establishing a permanent home for our surplus crop aggregation and processing center model since 2012. Over the last ten years, we have dedicated ourselves to this cause, accumulating valuable experience. This has given us ample time to carefully contemplate the essential elements required for a center of this nature. The timeline below shows our dedication to proving and getting this concept off the ground.
Our temporary move to the Vermont Food Venture Center will provide kitchen space, equipment, and regular processing days that will greatly boost our VCP frozen food production. This will allow us to pull more produce from Vermont Farmers and further our mission capturing more food that would have otherwise not been eaten.
Timeline
2012 Green Mt College, Rutland Area Farm & Food Link, VT Agency of Agriculture’s Mobile Flash Freeze Unit – frozen food production, charitable distribution, and product testing Harlow Farm’s on-farm kitchen – frozen food production, charitable distribution, and product testing
2012-2015 Southeast State Correctional Facility – high volume, surplus crop aggregation, cleaning, and packing within the facility, inmate work/ learn program
2013-2014 Vermont Food Venture Center kitchen rental – frozen food production and product testing
2015-2016 Meals on Wheels of Lamoille County – volunteer engagement and processing to freeze gleaned produce resulting in a minimal processing toolkit for community meal sites
2015 Vermont Farmer Food Center & Vermont Youth Conservation Corps – two separate community-based locations engaging volunteers to pack large volumes of surplus apples
2016-2020 Salvation Farms surplus crop aggregation and processing center, Winooski rental – the culmination of all previous raw aggregation and minimal processing and workforce development pilots; a final test of feasibility, setting & testing operational systems, exploring/discovering challenges and successes in the concept
2022-2023 Vermont Studio Center – minimal processing and freezing project, temporary, while plans are charted for a large, permanent facility
2023 Vermont Food Venture Center – frozen food production for charitable and institutional meals
Announcing the 4th Annual Salvation Farms Aid Benefit Concert!
Saturday, October 28th • 7:00 - 10:00 pm
T-Rex Theatre at the Essex Experience in Essex, Vermont
More details to come - Watch for updates on our website, social media, and e-news!
Be Early Birds!
Give today to ensure Salvation Farms’ unique work grows now and into the future.
Visit our Ways to Give page to learn how to make your tax-deductible gift today and help us reach our $308,557 Annual Fund Goal.