NORWICH, VT — Willing Hands has been awarded a $20,470 grant through the Vermont Farm to School Grant Program to increase access to fresh, locally grown food for children attending 12 early childhood education (ECE) programs in Orange and Windsor counties.
The funding will enable Willing Hands to purchase Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares from local farms on behalf of participating ECE centers, helping them supplement food budgets and provide children with greater access to healthy, Vermont-grown foods.
“These investments strengthen our schools, support our farms, and help ensure Vermonters have access to healthy, local food,” said Anson Tebbetts, Vermont Secretary of Agriculture, Food & Markets. “By connecting farmers with schools and community food programs, we are growing economic opportunity, supporting local agriculture, and building stronger communities across the state.”
The Farm to School Grant Program is funded through an annual state appropriation of $500,875. In Fiscal Year 2026, an additional $500,000 was allocated through a special one-time state appropriation for the Local Food for Schools and Child Care (LFSCC) program.
Since 2016, Willing Hands has partnered with local farmers to secure donated CSA shares from existing customer bases and deliver fresh produce to food shelves throughout the region. “We are excited to expand our Share-a-Share program to more closely partner with local farms and early childhood educators to bring more fresh, nutritious food to young children,” said Gabe Zoerheide, Executive Director of Willing Hands. “This initiative not only helps strengthen local food systems and supports Vermont farmers, but also creates opportunities for children and educators to build meaningful connections with the food grown in their own communities.”
The program launched in early June, with four Upper Valley farms participating: Cedar Circle Farm and Education Center, Crossroad Farm, Deep Meadow Farm, and Honey Field Farm.
“This program is instrumental in bolstering our CSA program and providing us with critical funds to start our season. Local food for our neighboring schools and early education centers is so important, and we feel that our CSA model- letting the schools choose exactly what suits their needs- is a perfect fit”, notes Phil Mason, owner of Crossroad Farm in Post Mills, Vermont.
Each participating center will receive a CSA credit based on enrollment, allowing staff to purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, and other farm products grown in Vermont directly from participating farm stands.
The program is designed to significantly increase the availability of healthy, fresh foods for young children while supporting local agricultural businesses. CSA shares will be distributed according to the number of children enrolled at each center, ensuring equitable access to fresh local food.
Participating early childhood education centers include Caring Community Preschool, Creative Spirit Children’s Center, Creative Learning Early Childhood Education Program, Creative Nursery School, Little Feet Children’s Center, Tammie Hazlett Family Child Care, Immersion Montessori School at Pine, Maple Leaf Children’s Center, The Family Place, Orange County Parent Child Center, and Treehouse Children’s School.
The Farm to Institution Program was authorized through the passage of the Rozo McLaughlin Farm to School Program Act of 2006 and is funded through annual appropriations from the Vermont State Legislature. Since the first grants were awarded in 2007, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets has awarded 359 farm-to-school grants, investing $2.8 million in state funds to support 163 schools and school districts and 166 early childhood education programs.