Support ACORN's
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Roadside shopping in Monkton
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Fall is such a colorful season at Lalumiere Farm
Need a night out? Eat and dance locally at the Antidote in Vergennes!
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Got Milk?
Rural Vermont's Raw Milk Summit is 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 27 in Bethel! It's free, but register in advance to save your spot.
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You can't beat beets!
Bring the season into your home with Flower Power!
Sweet or Dilly...you choose your own award
Small batch cider in Monkton...perfectly perfect blends at Yates Stand in Monkton
Want your name on the Hannaford's Local Sign? They are seeking to buy more from local producers. Contact the store manager for details
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From This ......
to This .......!
Coming in late October!
The new amazing cookbook from foodservice for food service! A project with the help of many hands from Addison County
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"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." So says the wisdom of an African Proverb. This speaks to the cooperative work in Addison County's farm and food endeavors.
Addison County, was host to the National Farm Viability Conference in late September. Folks from around the country visited farms and processors sharing insights to help promote stronger local agricultural economies. The conference was a veritable showcase of ideas and technologies to help promote stronger ag business. Many thanks to the excellent teamwork between the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, many local producers who opened their farms for tours, the Middlebury Inn, Town Hall Theater and the many others who helped make this an incredible event to showcase Addison County.
Partnerships come in all shapes and sizes. For example,
 at the Tour de Farms Tricycle Route, the hard-working folks at Mary Johnson Children's Center presented an excellent hands-on grain grinding program for tots. The experiential learning was exciting and helped connect grains to bread and other baked goodies. All the kids loved the process of turning grains into ground meal. The Center has also hosted a Farm-to-Preschool Salon showing their leadership in helping home healthcare providers to serve healthy snacks for toddlers. This is designed to be a stepping stone so children entering school will be familiar with trying new foods. Cheers to the excellent partnerships and collaborations that MJCC engages in on a daily basis! There are many unsung heroes in the county working to nurture well-being and improve nutrition. We tip our hats to all our community ktichens and those sharing their garden bounty to make meals possible.  Another great partnership outside of the county is Green Mountain Farm to School & Food Connects Harvest of the Month. Schools, retailers, and restaurants are encouraged to feature a crop leading to more fresh local produce sales across the state! Thanks to them for sharing these great resources with ACORN and others to help promote the campaign for fresh produce in more hands.
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ACORN is a Vermont non-profit currently working on specific projects to broaden Addison County's impact in the arena of food, agriculture, capitalization of small businesses and renewable energy resources. We build connections; the links are meant to show the array of Vermont-based resources. Kindly share ideas that can support our effort. JOIN ACORN Eat the bounty of the county this weekend at the New Haven Farm and Food Festival! |
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Better Business Workshops: Mark Your Calendar!
 ACORN's farmer workshop series is announcing its new line up. Of course, you do not have to be a farmer to attend. Space is limited and all workshops are held at the Extension Office in Middlebury from 8:45-11:30.
November 6: Basic Accounting for Small Businesses Perfect if you are not so certain how to make sense of all the numbers associated with your business. Sam Smith of the Intervale will provide financial keys. This workshop is a great overview to get your business-sense dialed in.
November 13: Marketing Your Differentiation Nicole Fenton specializes in food businesses and she will help you how to tell your best story and gain market presence. Annie Harlow ACORN board member, former produce manager and sales rep will share keys to building relationships with buyers.
November 19: Understanding Labor Laws: The Farmer as Employer Christy Asbee, attorney specializes in helping producers be compliant with labor laws, this is a must attend for anyone who is an employer in the food world. Do you think you might be hiring your first employee soon...this too, is for you.
December 4; TBA
December 6 & 13 Building a Stronger Business Mark Canella UVM Extension Ag Specialist will help your business in a two part series that addresses financial literacy. This workshop is more advanced than basic accounting and reitorates the need for good record keeping. This is a small group, interactive workshop.
ACORN has teamed up with the excellent technical assistants and we are happy host to all the workshops in Middlebury. Thanks to the Vermont Community Foundation for funding this endeavor!
Stay tuned for January & February Workshops.
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What's Up...Down on the Farm
 Here's the availability list for Addison County Produce.
ACORN is promoting Green Mountain Farm to School and Food Connects "Harvest of the Month". In partnership with their excellent campaign ACORN says...eat you Broccoli & Caulflower in October
There is an abundance of hearty ingredients available- if you are a buyer looking for something special, use ACORN's Local Food Guide as a starting point. This is a partial list Addison County produce currently being sold. Combine with other fresh ingedients for the best meals of the year.
- Brussels Sprouts
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beets
- kholrabi
- onions
- CORN! Yup still going
- Tomatoes
- peppers by the gazillion
- eggplants
- turnips
- strawberries YUP! Norris & Lalumiere still have them
- lettuces
- all types of greens
- garlic
- potatoes - you want them, Addison County has them!
- broccoli, cauliflower
- cabbages of all types
- carrots
- herbs of all types
- spinach
- Sweet potatoes
- tons of winter squash
- gourds and seasonal flowers for your front porch!
Stop by your local roadside stands for great choices of specialty varieties. And of course stop in at any farmstand or farmers market for fresh cheese, meat and specialty products anywhere in the state! FARMERS DO YOU HAVE PRODUCTS NOT ON THIS LIST....SHARE WITH Annie!
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Financing the Working
Landscape November 7th
The event is ideally suited for business decision makers who are thinking about starting a business or looking to expand their existing business. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet capital providers, service providers, and their fellow entrepreneurs during this full day of education and networking.
One of the highlights of the conference has been the Entrepreneur Showcase, which is an opportunity for entrepreneurs to hone their "elevator pitch." Entrepreneurs have 3 minutes to present their business idea to investors and other business owners.
Join us for yet another great opportunity to learn what resources are available to grow your business! REGISTER NOW!
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Bridport's After School Culinarians
 Bridport School is serving up its second year of an afterschool cooking program. Ten kids have signed on to learn more about food, cooking techniques, and safety in the kitchen. These are some of the same students helping serve at lunch and they clearly have taken on FOOD!
Missy finshes up in the kitchen serving lunch then starts with getting an idea of what they want to learn. It covers everything from baking, how to make signature dishes to cook the foods from different cultures. Bridport is making great strides in teaching food related activities including their own in-house Jr Iron Chef. These lessons will likely lead students to participate in the statewide competition as they advance to middle and highschool. Whooo Hooo!
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Thanks again to all of you for sharing links and information. Please share our website to build the network.
Annie Harlow
ACORN Network
annieharlowahh@gmail.com
802-922-7060
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