Pledger Spotlights

Laraway Youth and Family Services

1/1/2016

The Land Stewardship staff at Laraway integrate Harvest of the Month into their Farmer On Site initiative, which connects the school's 35 K-12 students with garden and agricultural education.
Each month, students pass around a paper bag with the featured harvest inside and have to guess what it is using only touch. After the item has been revealed, participants have the chance to try that item during a taste test.
Posters and information about the featured harvest are displayed on the cafeteria bulletin board, and food service staff work to integrate that item onto the menu for that month.
During the growing season, lessons take place out in the school garden, allowing students to plant, tend, and harvest the crops that they're learning about.

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UVM Medical Center

12/1/2015

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UVM Medical Center is a pioneer in their commitment to serving nutritious, local food to their guests and staff, and have used Vermont Harvest of the Month to promote seasonal eating in all of their main campus dining locations.
Each month, HOM posters are prominently displayed across dining locations, and servings of a dish featuring that month's harvest are available to visitors free of charge. The hospital also produces and distributes recipe cards featuring HOM recipes.
This institution is also promoting local foods through their weekly farmers market, which includes a variety of local vendors selling produce, meats, breads, and more. Each month, hospital staff facilitate tastings at the market, allowing attendees to sample a recipe showcasing that month's featured harvest.
Health care and good food go hand-in-hand, and we are excited about the work that UVM Medical Center is doing to support local foods and farmers.

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Fresh Food

11/1/2015

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Although Harvest of the Month is often used in school settings, our resources can be easily applied to adult education around nutrition and cooking. In Winooski, one program is a shining example of this.
FRESH Food, a social enterprise of Vermont Works for Women, utilizes Vermont Harvest of the Month as a learning tool for their culinary trainees. HOM is used by Chef Robin to introduce new or unknown fruits, vegetables, and herbs to women who are learning professional culinary skills for eventual employment in the local community. Flavor pairings are made and taste tests conducted in order to incorporate the featured HOM into a menu item for either childcare meals or catering jobs for local businesses.

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Four Seasons of Early LEarning

10/1/2015

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Four Seasons of Early Learning is an early education center located in Greensboro Bend, VT. Each month, farm-to-school coordinator Hillary Seel leads 44 students, ages 2-5, in hands-on activities surrounding the Vermont Harvest of the Month.
Throughout the month, students explore the Harvest of the Month through a number of sensory and cooking activities. For the youngest students, this may include veggie stamps and multi-sensory introductions to the featured harvest. Older students take part in preparing recipes that are taste-tested throughout the month. During the growing season, children of all ages take part in planting, harvesting, and exploring the center's on-site garden.