Recapping our 12th Northeast Farm to School Institute Summer Retreat

“After sixteen months of reimagining school food and learning during the pandemic, some changes are proving to be more than simply a bandaid to ride out a tumultuous year,” explains Betsy Rosenbluth, Vermont FEED Project Director, “Shifts we came to rely on include: utilizing more outdoor learning spaces, increasing access to school meals, investing in a more resilient local food system that withstood infrastructure crises, and appreciating the power of community to effect change.”

The school programs resulting from the Northeast Farm to School Institute are seeking to serve healthy local food in schools, improve student nutrition, provide hands-on food systems based learning opportunities, and develop meaningful relationships between community partners, schools and students. We’re excited to announce the ten teams selected for the 2021-22 Northeast Farm to School Institute, who joined another nine school teams from the New York Farm to School Institute in a collaborative launch of the year-long program:

• Bennington Early Childhood Center, Bennington, VT
• Central Elementary, Bellows Falls, VT
• Danville School, Danville, VT
• Eustis RSU Stratton School, Eustis, ME
• Flood Brook School, Londonderry, VT
• Macdonough STEM Academy, Middletown, CT
• Orange County Parent Child Center, Tunbridge, VT
• Peacham School, Peacham, VT
• RSU 19 Somerset Elementary School, Hartland, ME
• West Springfield High School, West Springfield, MA

Our virtual retreat kicked off with a keynote presentation, Manifesting Equity through Storytelling in Farm to School, from Ferene Paris Meyer (she/her). Ferene brings an abundance of heartfelt wisdom into her role as a storyteller and founder of All Heart Inspirations. Through her work, Ferene shares the power storytelling has in uplifting all voices, building equity, and guiding our future. 

Ferene shares, “[Farm to School is] about equity, access to good food, and quality food. It’s making sure that we are doing our due diligence to remove a variety of barriers so that our school communities and the individuals that are a part of them have access to what it is that we know is important: sustainable, locally sourced ingredients. [These are] things that we know have a collective influence in how we exist, how we move through this world, how we breathe, how our mind develops, how we physically evolve into our human existence. It deeply matters.” 

As Farm to School educators and change agents, we have the collective responsibility to engage every student and community in a culture that nurtures wellness, and to create space for all perspectives to be honored. "Storytelling lets us not forget where we or others come from,” Ferene says. “Too many narratives and contributions have been erased when we think about our history with land and farming, and the first people who brought these beautiful profound practices here to our country."  Ferene left participants with several questions to reflect on while planning for a year of Farm to School programming. We invite you to ponder these too: 

• How have you bloomed from where life has rooted you?
• What life lessons are you harvesting from your “garden”? Your garden can be your physical garden, your classroom, the cafeteria, life, community. 
• “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” How does this mantra align with the mission of Farm to School?
• How are we honoring the contribution of our BIPOC ancestors, BIPOC culture and traditions and what they have given to be able to chart the pathways and keep us steadfast in the movement of Farm to School?

Julie Brewer, Director of USDA Food and Nutrition Services Office of Community Food Systems, welcomed the teams with this inspirational message: “The work you are doing now and over the next year will build a solid foundation for a successful Farm to School program in your school. I’m impressed with the participation from 19 teams, from the Bronx up to Northern Maine! This engagement is a reflection of the importance of the work we are all doing to support Farm to School efforts and your team’s commitment to impact children and communities with change that lasts. The Farm to School Institute model Vermont FEED created is something that the USDA has supported for many years now and continues to support because we know and have seen over and over again the powerful results that can come from careful planning, strategic partnerships, and well-trained leadership.”

We’ll share more resources and information from the Institute as they become available!

What the participants had to say:

"[The Institute Retreat] helped our team bond and form deeper personal relationships for a solid foundation for working together.”

“Even though starting from scratch with Farm to School implementation sounds daunting, it is doable through baby steps with lots of support from our coach and Vermont FEED!"

“I’m very grateful for all the people who clearly care so much about our kids’ education, wellness, and quality of life. It makes me very hopeful, thank you!”