Farm‑to‑School backers ask Vermont lawmakers to keep $500,000 each for two local‑food programs

Dana Hudson, coordinator of the Vermont Farm to School and Early Childhood Network, told a legislative committee that she and network members were asking lawmakers to support the governor’s proposed budget by maintaining level funding of $500,000 for the Vermont Farm to School and Early Childhood grant program and $500,000 for the Local Food Incentive (LFI) program. “My name is Dana Hudson, and I am the coordinator of the Vermont Farm to School Early Childhood Network,” she said.

The request was supported by school food directors, local food hub staff, teachers and students who described how the programs increase meal participation and create stable markets for Vermont farmers. For example, Nisha Johnson, child nutrition director for White River Valley Supervisory Union, said the combination of universal meals and local‑food incentives let her staff focus on menu quality rather than paperwork. “Since 2023, as we had shifted our focus to increasing the percentage of local foods we serve to meet the local foods incentive grama threshold, our lunch participation has increased by almost 20%,” Johnson said, adding that translated to roughly 120 more students eating school lunch each day.

Advocates said the programs work together: grants provide capacity building and technical assistance to schools; the local incentive increases purchasing power for farms and processors; and universal school meals stabilize revenue so schools can buy higher‑quality local ingredients. Becca Herron, lead hub account manager for Green Mountain Farm Direct, cited the Agency of Education’s FY2025 legislative report on the LFI and said the program multiplies public dollars in the Vermont food economy. “According to the Agency of Education’s 2025 legislative report on the local food incentive program, every dollar of grant funding results in over $3 when we purchased it by schools,” Herron said, attributing the figure to the report.

Speakers offered concrete program details. Hudson said the Rosa McLaughlin Farm to School grant program began in 2006 and has since served more than 300 schools and early childhood programs across the state. Johnson said one district expected to receive about $33,000 of supplemental spending power from its local food incentive award; she described using that money to buy 100% local beef and locally produced tortilla chips and empanadas. Green Mountain Farm Direct told committee members it partners with more than 50 Vermont producers and that sales to schools have increased since the LFI began in 2021.

Classroom and student testimony underscored educational and engagement benefits. Aziza Malik, a fifth‑grade teacher at Champlain Elementary and Vermont State Teacher of 2024, said farm‑to‑school work “turns learning into something real and relevant.” Students described harvesting potatoes and preparing foods that later appeared on cafeteria menus: “Cooking them made me realize how simple it is to make real food,” one student said. Other speakers, including high‑school teachers and students involved in school cooking enterprises, described community meals, summer garden work, and job‑skill training tied to farm‑to‑school activities.

Speakers referenced budget specifics and programmechanics without proposing legislative language. Hudson said the governor’s recommended budget included the two $500,000 line items she requested; multiple presenters urged continuation of universal school meals through the education fund.

No formal motions or votes were recorded during this hearing. Committee members thanked presenters and acknowledged they had written testimony from additional speakers.

Why it matters: Advocates framed the funding request as both an educational and economic policy: farm‑to‑school and the local‑food incentive are presented as a way to increase participation in school meals, support farm income and circulate public dollars in Vermont’s food economy. If funding is maintained and district applications continue, presenters said, schools could expand local purchasing and student learning opportunities that tie classroom lessons to local agriculture.

Looking ahead: Supporters asked lawmakers to retain the two $500,000 line items in the FY2026 budget, and presenters left contact information and handouts for committee members who want additional data or follow‑up.