Advocates urge Vermont legislature to keep $500,000 for Farm to School and Local Food Incentive programs

Advocates from schools, farms and food hubs told a legislative committee that Vermont should continue level funding of $500,000 each for the Vermont Farm to School and Early Childhood Grants and the Local Food Incentive program to sustain local purchasing and food-education work in schools.

The request came during testimony to a State House committee from Dana Hudson, coordinator of the Vermont Farm to School and Early Childhood Network at Shelburne Farms, who asked lawmakers to "support the governor's budget proposal for both the Vermont Farm to School and Early Childhood Grama Program and the Local Food Incentive Program with level based funding appropriations of $500,000 each." Hudson said the programs help schools, farmers and children by connecting classroom learning with local food and strengthening school food purchasing of Vermont products.

Supporters told the committee these programs work together: the Farm to School grants build school capacity and education, the Local Food Incentive program reimburses schools to buy Vermont food, and Universal School Meals expands participation so more children receive those meals. "These programs make a huge difference in the ability of schools to buy their food from Vermont farmers," Hudson said.

Agency staff and program managers detailed recent activity and trade-offs. Gina (Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Farmed Institution Program manager) presented the Farm to School annual report, saying the Rosa McLaughlin Act (2006) created the grant program that has awarded more than 300 grants totaling about $2.3 million since 2006. For the most recent fiscal year, she said 73 grants were awarded; within that total, 49 small CSA mini-grants (about $1,000 each) reached roughly 45 early-childhood programs and several after‑school programs.

Gina also told the committee the Agency of Agriculture recently received a USDA Local Food for Schools and Childcare grant for $1,200,000 and, as a result, the agency is pausing the CSA mini‑grant for one year "so that we have capacity to kind of administer this additional $1,200,000 grant program." She characterized the decision as temporary and aimed at broadening support for early childhood programs.

Connor Floyd, Grants Programs Manager at the Agency of Education, described the Local Food Incentive (LFI) mechanics: a baseline-year application triggers an award of 15¢ per lunch served; subsequent-year awards require meeting a local-purchasing threshold (15%, 20%, or 25%) and increase the per-lunch reimbursement. Floyd reported a rise in subsequent-year grantees from six to 12 this year and said $384,818 in LFI grant funding went out this year across baseline and subsequent awards.

Food-service directors, farmers and food-hub representatives described how the three programs combine in practice. Robert Hildebrand, a food-service director with the Abbey Group, defended Vermont's Universal School Meals policy and said higher participation from universal meals increases program purchasing power for local items such as beef, yogurt, apples and maple syrup. John Buck of Buck Family Maple described regular syrup sales to nearby schools and said the program provides reliable demand and a cultural connection for children to local food.

Small processors and distributors described the operational lift required to supply schools and how state investment helps. Joe Boston of Vermont Bean Crafters said the market for local, processed products in schools helps small producers scale and access larger distribution channels. Patrick Ackerman Hovis of Food Connects presented sales figures showing year‑over‑year increases in local-food sales to schools and summer programs.

Educators and students gave examples of classroom and garden impact. Sabrina McDonough, a fifth- and sixth-grade teacher at Shrewsbury Mountain School, said a Farm to School grant enabled her school to expand garden beds, add a small orchard and implement a composting system that students help manage; several students testified about planting, compost-temperature monitoring and using garden produce in class cooking.

Committee members asked for data and outreach plans; staff said they will provide the agencies' reports and school lists to the committee. Staff and witnesses noted remaining gaps: about a third of School Food Authorities have not applied even for the baseline LFI grant and some districts face contract or procurement limits when trying to buy local product. Floyd said the LFI has produced an approximate 1-to-3 ratio of grant dollars to increased Vermont purchasing among subsequent-year grantees.

The testimony concluded with an explicit ask: maintain level appropriations of $500,000 for each program and preserve Universal School Meals funding. Several witnesses said they would provide the committee with written reports and contact information.

The committee did not take a formal vote during this hearing; witnesses provided reports and asked legislators to consider the funding requests during the budget process.