Keeping Agriculture a Vital Part of Upper Valley Life
Upper Valley Farm to School
Upper Valley Farm to School Network
Welcome to the Upper Valley Farm to School Network! The Network is all the educators, farmers and community members working to integrate local food and farms into the classrooms, cafeterias and communities of our region. Our staff is available to help you with your farm to school projects, be they large or small, so please contact us.
Services
Our staff is here to support your farm to school work.
The Upper Valley berry season typically ranges from late June to early October. In our short, but fruitful season, we can enjoy raspberries and strawb [...]
I hope this note finds you all healthy and adjusting to the routines of remote learning and teaching. I know my family and I are starting to feel a [...]
Climate and Community Resilience: Lessons from the Soil
Spring Community Webinar Series to Unpack What Creating Our Future Looks Like
What is good f [...]
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 [...]
Kale. Carrots. Beets. Potatoes. Powerkraut®!
These are just a few of the delightful local foods I've received from Root 5 Farm over the past few m [...]
Meet Your Local Farm to School Network!
The Upper Valley Farm to School Network invites you to gather in your region to build local connections w [...]
Calling all Vermont Farmers!
You're invited to the second annual From the State House to the Farmhouse event on
Sunday September 22nd from 1-4 pm
[...]
We have an exciting project for new farmers in the White River valley portion of our region! The High Meadows Fund is supporting a series of free pe [...]
Schools with Farm to School Projects in the Upper Valley
Each of these Upper Valley schools has a unique farm to school program. Some are as simple as a school garden bed, others involve yearly harvest parties, curricular integration, and local purchasing in the cafeteria.Contact usto get involved, or to expand your own farm to school programming.
Windsor County, VT
Ascutney Basin
Barnard Academy
Bridgewater Village School
Hartford Memorial Middle School
Hartland Elementary School
Pomfret
Reading Elementary
Sharon Elementary
Upper Valley Waldorf School
Windsor State Street School
Woodstock Elementary School
Funding for the Upper Valley Farm to School Network is provided by the Wellborn Ecology Fundof the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation – Upper Valley Region, Jane B. Cook 1983 Charitable Trust, The Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation, and The Couch Family Foundation.
Orange County, VT
Bradford Elementary School
Cedar Circle Farm
The Newton School in Strafford
Thetford Elementary School
Grafton County, NH
Hanover High School
The Lyme School
The Ray School
Photo Gallery
Funding for the Upper Valley Farm to School Network is provided by the Wellborn Ecology Fundof the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation – Upper Valley Region, Jane B. Cook 1983 Charitable Trust, The Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation, and The Couch Family Foundation.
In these contentious times, when civility, useful information, and real communication seems to be frequently missing from the big social media platforms, it is pretty wonderful to have a local resource where we can learn ...more
How many and what kind of homes are we creating in our region? Vital Communities and Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Commission partnered with 29 towns to measure the numbers, types, and values of homes ...more
A study commissioned by Vital Communities finds that, for every dollar they earn, local retailers and restaurants return a share to the local community that’s up to four times as big as that of chain ...more
Buyers gobbled up $18,000 worth of Hartford Dollars within just days of the new "currency" going on sale! And organizers hope it's only the start of more and stronger trends and programs toward keeping dollars ...more
Give Today to The Christmas Revels' 2020 Production!
Will the COVID-19 Grinch steal The Christmas Revels? Perish the thought! This year The Christmas Revels will go onscreen with a film featuring the artistry and panache that ...more
Join Vital Communities’ Valley Quest Coordinator Sandy Gmur along with Roy Black, lifelong resident of Wilder and a member of the Hartford Historical Society, on a guided exploration of the historic village of Wilder.
Did ...more
Just in time for fall and back-to-school, there are some exciting transit updates from both sides of the river!
Tri-Valley Transit (formerly Stagecoach) has a new midday route on the 89er South route. This route connects ...more
Do you need to press the reset/refresh button? Have you spent too much time behind a screen these days? We have a solution! Take our challenge – Quest to Refresh! Complete five or more Quests ...more
School reopening is the big topic right now: how to do it safely, effectively, and efficiently. New requirements for health checks, physical distancing, and reduced bus capacity are likely to create bottlenecks, congestion, and lost ...more
Even with the need for physical distancing and many people working from home, transit and carpooling are available for those who need them. Here is some information on how to use each safely these days.
Riding ...more
Do you hope to do a longer hike before the good weather ends? Do you enjoy a challenge? We have a way for you to attain these goals! Two of our Quests incorporate sections of ...more
Weatherize Webinar with NHSaves
Monday, August 17 at Noon
Did Covid-19 stop your 2020 weatherization plans in their tracks? NOW is the right time to jump back on the weatherize band wagon. Lower energy bills and cozy ...more
Vital Communities celebrated the graduation of the Leadership Upper Valley Class of 2020 on Wednesday, June 10. This event marked the program’s 14th graduating class, as 31 local leaders completed the 10-month program with a ...more
Do you own an Upper Valley business that is suffering due to the effects of the pandemic and could use a little help from your friends? TLC 4WARD Upper Valley is here for you.
The Local ...more
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
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
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
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
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 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. She previously served on the boards of the Vermont Science Teacher Association and the Vermont State-Wide Environmental Education Programs, 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, and serves on the Hartland School Board. 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.
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.
Doreen Guillette
Assistant to the Executive Director, Flavors Coordinator
— 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
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.
VITAL COMMUNITIES
