By Trevor Lowell, VT Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets 
October is National Farm to School month and here in Vermont there are plenty of farm to school happenings to get excited about. Vermont is a national leader in the farm to school movement, with a diverse network of state agencies, nonprofits, and community organizations collaborating to support and expand farm to school programs across the state.
The success of these programs is far reaching, with seventy-five percent of schools in the state engaged in some aspect of farm to school. Farm to school is important because it helps connect students to local agriculture producers, improves child nutrition, and strengthens Vermont’s agricultural economy. Vermont’s commitment to farm to school was recently recognized by the USDA, who awarded the Agency $98,918 in grant funds to expand farm to school programming in Franklin and Grande Isle Counties.
Beginning on October 11th, the Agency will be accepting new applications for its own Farm to School grant program. Schools and early care providers are encouraged to apply to this grant opportunity, which provides a combination of technical and financial assistance to organizations over a two-year period.
Once the application is open, schools and early care providers will have until November 21st to apply. More information can be found on the agencies farm to school website: https://agriculture.vermont.gov/grants/childnutrition
Trevor Lowell is the Agency’s contact for Farm to Institution programs. He can be reached via phone 802.585.9186 or by email trevor.lowell@vermont.gov