Carissa Brewton, Retreat Farm's Community Food Project Coordinator, fills bags of food for distribution to the community. Retreat Farm photo.
Vermont Business Magazine Retreat Farm, the nonprofit in Brattleboro dedicated to connecting people to the land and to one another, received a $35,000 grant from the Gannett family fund at the Vermont Community Foundation to support the Farm’s efforts to address food insecurity in the wake of COVID-19. At the beginning of the pandemic, the Farm launched an emergency food pantry and ramped up its production of vegetables and meat to share directly with people in need and through several food pantry partners throughout the community.
Thanks to Gannett Family’s generous support, the program will expand in the coming year with the introduction of a pay-what-you-can farmstand.
“Retreat Farm has reacted quickly and effectively to respond to the food security issues exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis and we hope our grant will contribute to the continuation of these efforts into 2021," said Bob and Bill Gannett. "We believe Retreat Farm’s response benefits the broader Brattleboro community and local agriculture - two areas of great importance to our parents, Bob and Aldie Gannett — and we hope our gift will encourage others to support this important work.”
While many people know Retreat Farm for Food Truck Roundup and Carlos the one-ton Ox, when COVID hit, the Farm immediately turned its attention to addressing the financial stress and food insecurity that was made worse by the pandemic. “We knew that our productive lands and our hard-working, knowledgeable staff could make a meaningful difference to help the many local families we saw struggling to put food on the table,” said Buzz Schmidt, Retreat Farm’s Executive Director. “First, we launched a food pantry to supplement people’s food budgets, and then we began growing as much food as possible on our lands to donate to people in need.”
Over 600 families and seniors have received bags brimming with eggs, vegetables, fruit, and healthy staples in the 32 weeks of this program. “The food bags contained fresh vegetables from our farm and other local farms, as well as simple, user-friendly recipe cards our staff designed to help families make the most of the farm products they received,” explained Lu Neuse, Managing Director of the Farm’s Community Food Project. The Farm produced over 10,000 pounds of vegetables, flowers, and pastured meat that were shared with the community through the Retreat Farm’s 65-family food pantry and through partnerships with the VT Food Bank, Westgate Food Shelf, Everyone Eats, the WSESD Summer Meals Program, and the SUSU Collective’s 25-family BIPOC CSA.
While the vegetable fields are now resting for the winter, Retreat Farm’s partnership with the VT Food Bank and the generous donations and support of more than a dozen local farms and businesses will allow us to distribute 65 boxes of holiday staples to local families next week. Though the list for Holiday Box recipients is full, we plan to continue to support families in need to the best of our ability through the winter. If you or someone you know is in need, contact us at (802) 490-2270.
About Retreat Farm
Retreat Farm is a natural and cultural public common where people connect to the land and one another. Located on Abenaki homelands, this 19th-century farm was established to provide food and therapy in nature for patients at the nearby Brattleboro Retreat. Today, our gardens and farmlands are growing food for our community. Our pastures, waters, paths, and historic farmstead are open to everyone to enjoy for free. You can support this critical work by donating today at www.retreatfarm.org/donate.
The Vermont Community Foundation inspires giving and brings people and resources together to make a difference in Vermont. A family of hundreds of funds and foundations, we provide the advice, investment vehicles, and back-office expertise that make it easy for the people who care about Vermont to find and fund the causes they love. Visit vermontcf.org for more information.
Source: Retreat Farm 12.8.2020