Upper Valley Farmers' Market Collaborative

The Upper Valley Farmers’ Market Collaborative brings the Upper Valley’s farmers’ markets together to help all markets succeed and to help farmers increase sales. The Collaborative began in December 2017. The Collaborative is guided by a Steering Committee made up of vendors, managers, and community members. Market managers and vendors participate in designing and enacting Collaborative projects. This page contains resources for Collaborative member markets and vendors.

Schools

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut tincidunt dapibus nisi nec posuere. Curabitur ac lacus ut libero aliquet feugiat.

Learn More  >

Workplaces

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut tincidunt dapibus nisi nec posuere. Curabitur ac lacus ut libero aliquet feugiat.

Learn More  >

Towns

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut tincidunt dapibus nisi nec posuere. Curabitur ac lacus ut libero aliquet feugiat.

Learn More  >

Towns

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut tincidunt dapibus nisi nec posuere. Curabitur ac lacus ut libero aliquet feugiat.

Learn More  >

Vital Communities Program News

Climate & Community Resilience Spring Series

Climate and Community Resilience: Lessons from the Soil Spring Community Webinar Series to Unpack What Creating Our Future Looks Like What is good for the soil is good for our communities. Deep healthy soil governs flood resilience, ...more

Public Investment AFTER Covid19

How can we know which uses of our public funds are the most productive in a recovery? Join this free webinar  at 1 pm March 31 by Joe Minicozzi of Urban 3 to learn how ...more

Five Inspiring Stories

On March 18, Vital Communities held a webinar featuring five inspiring stories from energy committees across the Upper Valley. Stories included: Electric charging stations in Bethel An Upper Valley eBike lending library Energy saving window ...more

13th Annual Roundtable - September 15

You're Invited! The 13th Annual Upper Valley Energy Committee Roundtable will be held Tuesday, September 15, 5-8 pm in West Lebanon! This annual gathering of local energy volunteers is open to all, whether you serve on an ...more

13th Annual Energy Committee Roundtable - March 18

You're Invited! The 13th Annual Upper Valley Energy Committee Roundtable is Wednesday, March 18, 5-8 pm in West Lebanon! This annual gathering of local energy volunteers is open to all, whether you serve on an energy committee, ...more

Renewable Energy Funding for Small Businesses

Get the information you need to move forward with a renewable energy or energy efficiency project in Vermont or New Hampshire. Join Ken Yearman, Rural Development Energy Coordinator for Vermont and New Hampshire; a farmer ...more

Improve Your Small Business Digital Marketing Presence!

Calling all Upper Valley farms and small businesses! Could your business benefit from professional consulting services to improve your marketing? With Rural Development funding, Local First is hosting free marketing workshops AND providing an opportunity ...more

TLC Upper Valley Success!

Local Investing Success with TLC Upper Valley! The Local Crowd (TLC) Upper Valley is a locally based crowdfunding platform that empowers individuals to invest in the businesses, organizations and initiatives that support vital communities in our ...more

Efficient Heating in Vermont

Check out this newly produced, six-minute YouTube video on Efficient Heating in Vermont, created by Two Rivers Ottauquechee Regional Commission. The video describes the types and benefits of home heating options and describes the current rebates ...more

Fall Guided Quest: Trees of Dartmouth Quest

  Join Vital Communities' Valley Quest Coordinator Beth Roy on a guided treasure hunt of the trees of Dartmouth. Celebrate fall as we discover many exotic trees around the Dartmouth College Campus and learn about their ...more

A New Quest to Celebrate the Mascoma River Greenway!

Have you been on the Mascoma River Greenway yet? If not, it is time to check it out. I had a fantastic time follwing the new Quest of the Mascoma River Greenway. I took my ...more

A New Quest in Pomfret, Vermont

Earlier this summer I had the fortune of working with the amazing staff of the Artistree Community Arts Center in Pomfret, Vermont on offering a Questing Camp. Over the week the campers learned about the ...more

Stand in Your Circle of Strength and Lead

Ed. Note: On May 30, Vital Communities honored 12 community leaders who’ve added immeasurably to the vitality of the Upper Valley at its annual Heroes & Leaders Celebration. The following are the event’s keynote remarks ...more

Heroes & Leaders: Creating a Vital Upper Valley

Every spring, Leadership Upper Valley, a program of Vital Communities, hosts the annual Heroes & Leaders Celebration to recognize individuals who make significant contributions to the Upper Valley. In 2019, we are pleased to honor ...more

2nd Annual Curb The Car Day - Friday, May 17!

On May 17, 2019 the rest of the country is celebrating National Bike to Work Day, but here in the Upper Valley we’ll be taking it a step further with our second annual Curb The ...more

Dazzlingly Reflective, 80's Style

We love pairing style with nighttime visibility, so we've ordered REFLECTIVE SLAP BRACELETS to reward people who bike or walk to Flavors of the Valley on Sunday, April 7! If you bike and walk to the ...more

Get your bike, boots, or shoes ready!

Get your bike, boots, or shoes ready! From our friends at Local Motion comes the Winter Edition of Vermont's Bike-Walk Challenge, February 1 to 8! Simply record two bike or walk commutes in the Go! Vermont app ...more

A Lot Lighter with More Hands: Leadership Upper Valley

On the bright, sunny morning of June 13, Cobb Hill was waking up, and the soon-to-be graduating 2018 Leadership Upper Valley class was just arriving for their final meeting. Before the ceremony at Harpoon Brewery, ...more

UV Collaborative Background Information

Participating Farmers' Markets

Upper Valley Farmers’ Market Collaborative members include the Chelsea Farmers’ Market, the Norwich Farmers’ Market, the Hartland Farmers’ Market, the Randolph Farmers’ Market, the Royalton Farmers’ Market, the Springfield Farmers’ Market, the Greater Falls Farmers’ Market, the Lebanon Farmers’ Market, the Hanover Area Farmers’ Market, the Claremont Farmers’ Market, the Ascutney Farmers’ Market, the Wilmot Farmers’ Market, and the Newport Farmers’ Market. A map of markets in the Vital Communities service area can be found here: Map of markets. The Collaborative has a shared Facebook group.

Collaborative Steering Committee 2018

The Collaborative Steering Committee is still forming. If you wish to join the Committee, contact Nancy LaRowe at 802.291.9100×106.

UV Collaborative Process and Forms

Draft Project Calendar UVFMC

Memorandum of Understanding 120817

Project Overview 120817

Steering Comm, Reporting Details 120817

Market Resources (to be added over time)

Power of Produce Clubs

Vendor Recruitment Resources

A few vendor recruitment guides. It’s worth looking at other resources from these sources as well.

The Chelsea Farmers' Market Cafe

Chelsea Farmers Market CAFE Toolkit Intro

THE MARKET CAFÉ_Description

Sponsorship Estimate for Cafe Supplies , Request to Sponsor Donation Committee 2018

CFM Cafe , Inventory for Market Cafe

POP UP CAFE VENDOR APP 2019 , Information for Cafe Vendors at CFM Market Cafe ,

Chelsea Farmers Market_Town Report

Connecting with Your Community

Connecting to Schools

NOFA VT Engaging the Community for Farmers Market Success

This project is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture Farmers’ Market Promotion Program, agreement AM170100XXXXG127.

Calendar

April 2020

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

What's Happening

Visit Our Food & Farm Blog

Sign up for our enews.

Tidbits
Farmer Discussion List
Farm To School

Greatest Hits

Lorem Ipsum

Lorem Ipsum

Lorem Ipsum

Photo Gallery

Staff

Becka Warren

Food & Farm Coordinator

Food & Farm

 802-291-9100 x112

Food & Farm

— Becka Warren, Food & Farm Coordinator

Part of Vital Communities' Food & Farm team since 2012, Becka fosters relationships that keep agriculture a daily part of community life in the Upper Valley. She works with current and future farmers, businesses, schools, and partners across Vermont and New Hampshire to build connections that support farm viability and keep our landscapes working. Becka lived in Seattle for many years, where she worked for the Washington State University Small Farms Program, Cascade Harvest Coalition, Seattle Tilth, and area vegetable farms. Becka is also a writer, founding and writing Ask Umbra at gristmagazine.com until 2009. She holds a BA from Brown University and lives in Hartland, Vermont, with her family.



Beth Roy

Food & Farm Manager

Valley Quest, Food & Farm

 802-291-9100 x105

Valley Quest, Food & Farm

— Beth Roy, Food & Farm Manager

Beth leads Vital Communities' Food & Farm team, including its Upper Valley Farm to School programming, and also oversees Valley Quest. Before joining Vital Communities, Beth Roy worked in the environmental and place-based education fields for 17 years in various positions around New England including at the Vermont Institute of Natural Science and as the Director of Education at the Nature Museum in Grafton, Vt. Beth is also on the boards of the Vermont Science Teacher Association (VSTA) and the Vermont State-Wide Environmental Education Programs (SWEEP), a coalition of dozens of individuals and organizations promoting sustainability and environmental education in Vermont. Beth is a New Hampshire native and lives in Hartland, Vt., with her husband and two children. When Beth is not working you will find her exploring the woods around her home with her family or cooking up a new taste test (made of local foods, of course!) for her children.



Doreen Guillette

Assistant to the Executive Director, Flavors Coordinator

Food & Farm

 802-291-9100 x104

Food & Farm

— Doreen Guillette, Assistant to the Executive Director, Flavors Coordinator

Doreen Guillette joined Vital Communities in January 2020 as the Flavors of the Valley Coordinator and Assistant to the Executive Director, with many years of administrative and management experience at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, self-employment, and volunteering. An Upper Valley native, Doreen spends most of her time and energy caring for her mini-farm and a large family in Norwich. She is a strong advocate for local community and is president of the Beaver Meadow Chapel, Trustee of the Beaver Meadow Schoolhouse, and Co-Chair of the West Norwich Community Resilience Organization. Doreen enjoys hiking, kayaking, writing poetry, nature photography, and cooking meals that come from her own land.



Nancy LaRowe

Food & Farm and Local First Coordinator

Local First, Food & Farm

 802-291-9100 x106

Local First, Food & Farm

— Nancy LaRowe, Food & Farm and Local First Coordinator

Nancy joined Vital Communities as the Food & Farm Coordinator in 2014. She works to support and grow our local food system and economy. Nancy has lived, worked, and farmed in the Upper Valley for more than 25 years and believes our community is healthier and stronger when our connections to food and the farms that produce it stay vital.

Nancy's informal job title is Farmer-in-Residence: she also runs a pasture-based cattle farm in Norwich. Nancy is on the Board of the Norwich Farmers' Market and a retired Norwich volunteer firefighter and EMT. She loves puttering in the garden, hiking with her dog, and visiting farmers' markets.