Green Mountain Farm-to-School (GMFTS), a Newport-based nonprofit, partnered with NEKCA Canaan in late August to distribute nearly $1,000 worth of local food to the Canaan community. The effort aimed to address COVID-19 related food insecurity in an isolated part of the Northeast Kingdom while supporting local farms.
The distribution used GMFTS's Lunchbox food truck, a mobile free meal site for kids, to transport and handout the food. Staff from GMFTS, NEKCA Canaan food shelf manager Suzanne Routhier, and volunteers packed and organized the food into bags for residents picking up in their cars. In total, 40 households received fresh, local products.
Funding came from the CARES Act and the Emergency Food and Shelter Program. Purchased items included Hood milk, Butterworks Farm yogurt, Champlain Valley Orchard apples, bread from Jocelyn and Cinta's bake shop, eggs from Maple Meadow Farm, and cheese from Nothin' but Curd. A Canaan farmer also donated freshly harvested tomatoes, potatoes, corn, squash, and cucumbers.
GMFTS's local food hub, Green Mountain Farm Direct, works with over 30 farms and producers to distribute bulk food to schools, institutions, restaurants, and grocery stores.
Originally reported by Newport Dispatch.
Photo: Th2city Santana via Pexels. Photo is illustrative and not from the scene.
Log in as a subscriber to comment, or become a member.