Great Resources & Fun Facts



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For all of you who are curious about the impact of local food on a community, here are some hard hitting facts I have found from various sources through the research I have been doing! Starting off on a local note, a recent piece written by The Associated Press on North Country Public Radio (NCPR) showed the statistic that The Vermont Agency of Agriculture has found that 89% of the state's schools offer some type of farm to school programming. That is an incredible percentage! This does vary between the different counties and school systems, but much work has accomplished this in the past couple of years. For more on the topic check out the article: 89 percent of Vermont schools use local food.


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Another statistic from Vermont Agriculture shows that "According to the USDA agricultural census, there are more than 7,000 farms in Vermont today, totaling over $673,000,000 in sales, annually. In terms of production dollars, dairy leads the state, followed by maple." Go Vermont! The presence of local farms in both the economy and community prove to be more than beneficial to the state. Facts such as these both show how much a part of the Vermont lifestyle this has become and how it is its own food network within the state. In comparison to other states, numbers do vary and Vermont tends to stand out among the group. For a good look at these facts and statistics Strolling of the Heifers, which is a local farm supporting organization has collected this information. To take a look check out their Locavore Index. Make sure to check out their site as well for information on local businesses and events, particularly their annual parade!

Interview: Charlotte "Lotty" Roozekrans with Winooski Farmers Market

If you could please state your name and title? If you could also spell it for me that would be great!
      Charlotte "Lotty" Roozekrans, Winooski Farmers Market Manager

How did you get involved in Winooski Farmers Market?
      I got involved with the Winooski farmers market 4 and half years ago. I got involved because of a boss of mine at the the time. She was on the board of directors for the Winooski Community Partnership and also a business owner in Winooski, where I worked at the time. She had hopes of being the market manager and quickly realized with being a business owner and juggling many other things in her life, that being the market manager would be too much to add to her plate. She suggested I apply for the position since she felt like I would be fit for the role. I applied and was hired to take on the project of revitalizing the Winooski Farmers Market. I was hired in mid March and little did I know that I had a lot of work ahead and was very behind in the planning process. I also didn't have the slightest idea of what to prioritize, since so many aspects of bringing this market back to life were of utmost importance; like advertising and market promotion, finding vendors, securing musicians to play, creating an application, vendor contracts, creating events, etc.  

How long have you been a part of it?
      4 1/2 years
How prominent do you feel that sustainable living and local foods is in Vermont?
      I feel the foundation of Vermont was built on sustainable living and local foods, although at the time it wasn't seen as this and rather just an honest and intelligent way of living. Vermont is an incredibly unusual and sacred place and has always attracted those who value family, supporting themselves from the land and preserving the environment. I feel sustainable living and local foods are incredibly prominent in Vermont and growing every year. There is a wealth of knowledge to be gained from old and true farming practices and we are finding more and more young farmers taking a stab at returning back to the land and starting their own venture. People are realizing that not only is creating a simpler life the way to go, but that there is hard earned money to be made in the agriculture as folks all over the state and country are focusing their efforts on being healthier and removing themselves from mass pesticide/herbicide use and genetic modification of foods. 

 How do you feel Vermont would be without it?
      Its hard to picture, really. I see Vermont being overrun by billboards and big box stores if it wasn't for the many grassroots organizations, activists and strong political figures who have played a key role in keeping Vermont the truly unique and sacred place that it is. We bills and laws in place and many more down the road to help preserve this land as best we can. Its not perfect by any means, but sure am happy to live here.

How long has Winooski had its own farmers' market?
      Since 2005. It used to be on Thursday afternoon/evenings and in 2011 we decided the market day had to be moved for convenience sake. We really wanted to create a community event where families and friends could gather and Thursday just didn't work, since there are so many leaving work and the rotary is a very congested.
 
Where is it usually held and does it work in coalition with any other markets?
      It is held in front of the Champlain Mill on the green and sidewalk. It has become known as the Champlain Mill Green.

How many local farms and businesses does it support and source from?
      In the height of the summer we have around 27 to 28 vendors on any given Sunday and later in the summer and fall months we usually scale down to 20-23 vendors. Of these vendors usually 60 % are agriculturally related. This past summer we had 5 vegetable farmers, 2 meat farmers, a dairy farmer producing cheese, and couple more that usually fall under the umbrella of Ag.

How beneficial do you feel that it is having an organization such as a farmers' market in the community?
      Iincredibly beneficial. There are very few places to source groceries in downtown Winooski so having the Winooski Farmers market for 20 weeks from June through mid October allows for not only the community to gather and enjoy downtown Winooski, but also a source for fresh local foods all from within an average of 20 miles from Winooski.

McDonalds Going the Organic Route?

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This blog is aimed at discussing the alternative food network that has been created in the state of Vermont by farmers' markets specifically. In relation to this topic, it is important to look at the competition of the farmers' markets which consists of big businesses and chains. One of these competitors, fast food restaurant McDonald's, is changing their strategic plan and possibly looking to lean toward being green. McDonald's recently posted its fourth straight quarter of falling in the U.S. same-store sales. This means that the corporation may look to sell more organic food to attract more customers who might be looking for similar products elsewhere. Becca Hary, a spokeswoman for the company, comments on the change of pace by saying:

“We have the ability to cater our menu to local and regional tastes and preferences,” (Patton,1).

Their hope from this change in their menu is to cater to the much popular social change in wanting organic rather than processed food. By choosing an organic alternative to what the corporation is currently selling they hope to not only satisfy customers but boost their sales. In addition to the interviews that are being published on this blog, the hope is to also hear from the competitors to farmers' markets and other locally based businesses such as McDonald's or larger grocers to hear the other side of the story. For more iinformation on this topic, check out the full article McDonald’s May Sell More Organic Foods to Boost Sales.

News: Clarification on Maple Syrup Grades!

Looking through some of my dynamic sources, I found that there has been a recent clarification on the different grades of maple syrup. Being a very local statewide business maple syrup is a staple to Vermont. There used to be Grade A and Grade B maple syrup, along with all the fake stuff too. Helping out all of us interested folks understand the new levels of grading maple syrup, the Woodstock Farmer's Market posted on their blog a helpful page of information:

Note that just because the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association is starting to change over the maple syrup grading system it does not in anyway change the content of the maple syrup. It is the exact same quality that we all know and love, it is just organized and labelled differently now! This classification is meant to specify what the consumer is buying and organize the different tastes maple syrup may have based on environmental influences such as dirt and tree. Maple syrup can be found across the state but don't forget to check out your local farmers' market for some locally produced maple syrup!

For more information about this update check out Woodstock Farmers' Market Blog and Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association! 

Heather Ellis - Lynch: Saint Michael's College Sustainability Coordinator Interview 10/14

1. If you could please state your name and title and if you could also spell it for me that would be great!

            So I’m Heather Lynch and I am the Sustainable Living Coordinator here at the college. I’m also the director of facilities.

2. How long have you been at Saint Mike’s and how did you get involved?

            So I’ve been at the college for about 7 years now. I am the first Sustainability Coordinator that the college has hired which is great! This is just sort of what I wanted to do with my life so I got lucky! The Organic Garden was started a semester before I was hired and it is my favorite thing to do that I have under my wing. It will be expanding so we right now have it ¼ acre and now we have a spot that is 1.7 acres that we are cultivating so it’s pretty awesome!

3. In your own words can you please define what sustainable living is? How does this pertain to households and local farms?

            Oh god! Sort of the easiest way for me to describe sustainable living is that you are just being respectful of how you interact with the world and other beings, humans and non-humans. And how you interact doesn't degrade those resources for anyone else, it’s out of respect. I like to use this especially for Saint Mike's because we are about community and respect. You’re being respectful enough to live on the planet.

            For me, I kind of see food as that gateway drug into sustainability. The main issue for sustainability is to get people involved who might not want to get involved. So for me I had to think about what impacts everyone, food. There is this great opportunity in educating people about sustainability, organic food and farms and getting people to be more conscious of how the food that they are eating is raised, how is it grown and distributed. For me it was that bridge of getting people to care.

4. How prominent do you feel that sustainable living and local foods is in Vermont? How do you feel Vermont would be without it?

            I don’t know what Vermont would be without sustainable food systems. We are leading the nation in this. Even with the GMO labeling law that recently was passed and now other states are beginning to follow because of what we did but just with Farmer’s Markets a statistic showed that Vermont was number one in the nation per capita with its Farmer’s Markets (Strolling of the Heffers she recommended was a great source!). It’s our ethos its old new England working the land helping thy neighbor independent so you know growing food for your community and doing it in a healthy respectful way that’s how we are and who we are. I don’t know how we would be without them because it plays a huge part in our economy. Vermont sustainable food fund has the stats but farmer’s markets are the largest sector of our economy it’s incredible.

5. How do you personally feel locally produce food is comparatively to larger grocers such as Shaw’s or Walmart?

Eh. I think locally produced food is far better and healthier. It connects you more to your place of being than large grocery stores do. And Hannaford’s is good Shaw’s is good and they do sometimes source from local places and label it which is awesome, but they are still part of a larger system that is hurting local food systems in general. It’s widening that divide that people have from their food and the farmer more. It is encouraging people to be more disconnected from their food you don’t talk to farmers or see the land where your food comes from its not the same. You just don’t care don’t care what you are getting.

Someone once told me how that when you are walking around in the grocery store food that you should be eating is all along the periphery: your meats, your dairy, your produce everything in the center which is the majority of the grocery stores is all the highly processed crap which is where people spend most of their money, and not on the food along the sides. At the farmers market it’s all the outside stuff everywhere, it’s interesting to think about.

6. How much do you feel has the push for supporting local farms and farmer's markets grown in the past decade or so? Do you feel it was always there or it has gotten more attention in past years?

            It’s like jumping up the little scale going up and up and it’s great because more young people are getting involved with it which is why it is such a hot topic. I don’t think it’s a fad I think it is a part of our lives. We are frustrated with the way our world is beginning to turn and food is one of those things we can really control. This is one of the things I love studying especially at grad school (Green Mountain State actually!) and seeing students here at Saint Mike's getting involved in the topic. If it wasn't for the interest we wouldn't be getting the new organic garden space. Having a community such as the one at Saint Mike’s and even Vermont we wouldn't have as much of a push and support for the garden’s expansion.

More Possible Questions:

1. At Saint Mike’s does the farm stand on campus source from just the organic garden or from local farms too?

            The farm stand is 100 % us and the organic garden! I hope with the new garden we will be getting food into the dining hall which is already into the works. Also we want to try to supply locally to those in need. CSA – Community Supported Agriculture intervail which is a multiform CSA which sources multiple produce such as meats, veggies, berries, even dressings! There are 15 to 20 farms in the area that aggregate their products to one area, it helps the farmers get their produce out along with farmers markets. It is year round and we started doing baskets which are shares that students or faculty/staff can buy. Obviously the student shares are aimed to be on the cheaper end. It’s been great to see the number of students participating in it! There are different packages with different baskets and they get dropped off every Monday to campus. There’s 20 different options so you can get a big share for a whole townhouse and a smaller share for 1 or 2 people. The content of the baskets varies too.

2. Do you think the farmers' markets locally are effective? Burlington and Montpelier?

             I have been to the Burlington one but it’s neat because it’s a community forming around local food. You connect and build relationships with people. My husband and I when we go to the farmers' market in Montpelier but our neighbor goes there so we always get to go and check in with him every couple weeks when we are there. I have run into Saint Mike's staff there who frequently check out the market and get to talk with them. Just the relationships you build, and everyone is there for the same reason it’s great it’s such, a happy place! I don’t eat meat but my husband does from Ray and Janet of Great Highland Beef and they are hilarious. And they always look for us and if we missed one week the next time we see them we catch up. Every time still Ray always asks, “Are you eating meat yet?” but its just neat to get those relationships and you can’t get those relationships at a grocery store. And the farmers need that as much as the consumers do because they have one of the hardest jobs but one of the most important jobs. That support is important and helps keep them going.

3. How beneficial do you feel that it is having an organization such as a farmer’s market in the community?

             I think its just going to get bigger and bigger the response. There are younger farmers coming out on the scene looking to get their produce on the market. I did a project for grad school on a local young couple who in the past few years have established themselves and are working on getting in touch with markets and CSA programs. They are looking to get themselves out there and not so much in grocery stores but since there is such a high demand they are going to probably do well. There are so many gateways for people like them here in Vermont and a lot of alternative markets. And who knows how it will evolve!

Calendar of Farmer's Markets Fall 2014

Wanting to do something fun this weekend? Well here you have it! Here is a updated list of the state wide farmers' markets. Some are having their last few scheduled markets in the upcoming weeks so make sure to check out this NO-FAVT list to find one near you! There is also additional contact information for the different Farmer's Markets in case you have any questions!

Vermont Farmers Markets

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Also make sure to check out this interesting read on GMO labeling: As of Summer 2016, all products that contain GMO's will be labelled and made known in stores. Even with the bill being passed, there are still some different opinions on the Vermont decision. For more read Vermont’s food fight over mandatory GMO labelling!

Interview Questions

Main Four to Six Interview Questions: 

1. If you could please state your name and title? If you could also spell it for me that would be great!
2. How did you get involved in _______ ? How long have you been a part of _______ ?
3. In your own words can you please define what sustainable living is? How does this pertain to households and local farms?
4. How prominent do you feel that sustainable living and local foods is in Vermont? How do you feel Vermont would be without it?
5. How do you personally feel locally produce food is comparatively to larger grocers such as Shaws or Walmart?
6. How much do you feel has the push for supporting local farms and farmer's markets grown in the past decade or so? Do you feel it was always there or it has gotten more attention in past years?

More Possible Questions:

1. How long has _______ had its own farmers' market? Where is it usually held and does it work in coalition with any other markets?
2. How many local farms and businesses does the __________ support and source from? What is the response usually from the local community on the market?
3. How beneficial do you feel that it is having an organization such as a farmers' market in the community?

Interesting New Reads: Google Alerts 1

From my first set of Google Alerts I have come across some interesting articles surrounding the main mission of Farmer's Markets: to produce and support local food and farms. The first article takes a quick insight into the importance of trying to create a more sustainable environment and getting more involved in starting their own farms. Non-profit creator Mark Kimball says in the article:

"To train farmers to sustainable agriculture and to pursue ways of farming in a way that does more environmental good, sort of a regenerative farming style." 

By turning back to a sustainable lifestyle, Mark comments on how much good can come. To read further in this article check out this link: Trying to create more sustainable farms.

The second article is written by Colin Read which is an opinion piece on how local grocers should support local farms. Having Vermont be the state that it is there is a stronger support as compared to other states in the country. As opposed to different opinions, Read states that,

"To me, taking exceptional pride in everything local is not a sign 

of  an over inflated sense of self, but rather an indicator of their 

evolution."


Local businesses supporting local farms is not only a hot topic in Vermont, but is also one of the main missions of the state wide local farmer's markets. To read more on this article check out the link: Local markets should focus on local products