USDA stops funding for schools buying local food

The U.S. Department of Agriculture this month canceled two programs supporting the purchase and distribution of local food, including an initiative that provided funding for Vermont school districts to buy and serve food from area farms and food producers.

Each week ACORN staff and volunteers help package shares of fresh produce from local farms, which are then doled out and delivered to 100 local families.

Part 2 of a 2-part series. Read the first story here. ADDISON COUNTY — Vermont Food Collaborative (VFC) in New Haven includes a retail storefront on Route 7 and a state-inspected processing facility in the back. Its mission is to market Vermont-raised liv … (read more)

Part 1 of a 2-part series. Read part 2 here. ADDISON COUNTY — It’s the beginning of the slow season at Vermont’s slaughterhouses and meat processing facilities. The “kill season” starts in September — after a summer of grazing — and runs until January or … (read more)

MIDDLEBURY — COVID-19 is affecting the food supply chain in unprecedented ways. Supply and demand are out of balance on a global, regional and local scale. Vermont, however, is fortunate to have an abundance of local food producers ready to help feed the … (read more)