|
ACORN's mission is to help revitalize the health of our land, our local economy and our local communities so they can provide sustainable sources of food, water, energy, employment, capital and other essential resources.
|
TAKE ACTION TO SUPPORT ACORN
Find us on
Send events & items of interest for the newsletter to Annie@acornvt.org
|
ahh the ....
 | | Monkton: signs of the times |
 | | Photo Credit, Eliza Margoiln, 2014 ACORN Intern |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Helping Vermont increase local food sales through a strong network that includes ACORN
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thinking about winter heating?
Check out the
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In case you missed Middlebury Energy Committee at the Farmers Market on September 25th, contact them for info on Button Up Day, November 1st.
"A sustainable Middlebury is a
Better Middlebury"
When the cool weather (finally) sets in, bake some goodies with Orb Weaver Cheese and Gleason Grains incorporating the Bounty of the County!
|
|
ACORN Farm to School  
October is National Farm to School Month! For 2014-15 we will continue to target school nutrition and the positive impact to our local economy. Donate now to our farm to school work which includes the Harvest of the Month (HoM) calendar, a workshop series promoting professional development opportunities for food service staff, school procurement 101 for food producers, Junior Iron Chef and garden harvest at schools.
A Workshop For Educators:
Using Harvest of the Month to Bring Farm to School to the Core Curriculum
 We are thrilled to promote GMFTS Harvest of the Month program for schools, retailers and farm stands. With so many schools taking students to orchards, families enjoying PYO now is good time to join the Harvest of the Month for recipes and educational materials for your business, classroom or your home! Has your local school pledged?
Congratulations to Vergennes schools and Team Phoenix for the excellent farm to school programs developed with the help of Lynne Rapoport. The October curriculum is tied to food at the Willowell garden and the cafeteria. Food is donated to the John Graham Shelter connecting the school garden to the greater community.
 Bill VandeWeert, the Vergennes high school ag teacher (and so much more!) has two raised beds planted as a salsa garden. The tomatoes, onion, peppers and garlic are harvested by students during September followed by a salsa making class project for all his exploratory students. Each student is able to help harvest, cut, peel, dice and mix. The salsa is then used in the cafeteria during meal time. Next year the plan is to sell freshly made salsa as a fundraiser. The high school greenhouse is planted out in late winter with geraniums for a Mother's Day plant sale. Great work!
|
|
Fall Foods are Here & Now!
|
ACORN is part of Vermont's Farm to Plate Network. We are a volunteer board with a hired communications director working on specific projects to broaden Addison County's impact in the arena of food, agriculture, capitalization of small businesses and renewable energy resources. The links are meant to show the array of Vermont-based resources. Kindly share ideas that can support our effort. Thank you for supporting our work.
|
|
A Great Partnership is Raised
The Vermont Department of Health Middlebury District Office along with Middlebury Union High School Alternative Education Program and Addison County Relocalization Network (ACORN) recently received a $1,575 grant from the Vermont Community Foundation's Small and Inspiring grant program.
 The grant will help build 15 raised garden beds at the homes of Addison County WIC (the special supplemental nutrition program for Women, Infants & Children) participants and other low-income residents.
The idea for this project came out of a farm-to-school meeting hosted by ACORN. Steve Colangeli, science teacher in the MUHS Alternative Education Program, talked at that meeting about how his students were building raised garden beds on the school grounds but the students wanted to find a way to give back to the community. Moira Cook, Middlebury district office director for the Health Department, proposed a partnership with the local WIC program. WIC is the special supplemental nutrition program for Women, Infants and Children which provides nutrition education, breastfeeding support and nutritious foods for income eligible families.
A member of the Health Department's staff, Linda King, previously ran her own small-scale vegetable farm and was a former manager of the Middlebury Farmers Market. King had expressed a desire to do more gardening outreach and education with local families.
Students in the Alternative Education Program will build the garden beds and King will provide follow-up consultation on planting, weeding, harvesting and preparing vegetables from the gardens. Beds will be distributed in the spring of 2015 just in time for spring planting!
|
|
Is it Time You Build a Strong Workforce on the Farm?
Build a Strong Workforce on the Farm
Date: November 10
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Location: Double Tree Hotel Burlington
- Learn hiring skills, leadership, supervising and coaching skills.
- Improve your performance feedback skills
- Create systems to keep employees happy, informed and working productively
- Increase in employee productivity with improved communications.
- Complete or fine tune a farm business organizational chart, performance review worksheets with/on employees and written job descriptions
- Continue to address HR management concerns on the farm through program follow-up.
Please RSVP by Nov. 1, 2014 to Louise Waterman VT Agency of Agriculture 802-828-6900 or Louise.Waterman@state.vt.us. DoubleTree Hotel, Burlington Cost $30
|
|
HAACP for Meat & Poultry Producers
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Location: Middlebury, VT
Description: October 3 & 4, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
October 5, 8:00 a.m. - noon
Hannaford Career Center, Middlebury, VT
For those in USDA production or considering starting a meat/poultry processing business, a certified HACCP course is a must. This course will cover not only HACCP (Hazard Analysis for Critical Control Points) as it applies to USDA producers, but, the pre-requisite programs such as sanitation, personnel hygiene and supply chain management. By emphasizing integrating the HACCP plan into the facility to create a culture of food safety, this course will help you write food safety plans that drive your business forward.
Cost: $300, limited scholarships available. Call (802) 382-1004 to enroll now! |
|
Events, Opportunities & Jobs
October 4th and 5th
Tunbridge Fairgrounds, Vermont.
Saturday from 10am - 5pm
Sunday from 10am - 4pm
Farmer Talks: CHAMPLAIN VALLEY FARMER COALITION
THURSDAY, October 9th at 11:00 am
Brad Thomas farm on Rte 73 in Orwell; directions
Crop Talks: Making new and innovative farming practices
work in the Champlain Valley
October 14
9-12:00
Middlebury Extension Office
 Barn Dance
October 18
Eat, press (apples), and dance
Potluck begins at 6pm, and dancing will follow. Common Ground Center, Just off 116 on Tatro Rd in Starksboro, follow the signs that say Barn Dance. This dance is open to the public, so bring a friend or two.
October 23
Harvest of the Month Teaching for the Core Curriculum
Vermont Fermentation Festival
Nov 1 at Green Mountain College
Sponsored by our friends at RAFFL
Save the Date: Financing the Working Landscape
November 6, 2014
more details to come
Save the Date: ACORN Annual Meeting
Wednesday, November 12
5:30 - 7:00 PM
Greg Sharrow, Folklorist and Co-director of the VT Folklife Center, will be giving a talk on "When local food, neighboring and storytelling were the lifeways of Vermont"
Farmers & Producers Please Note:
Selling to Schools: Navigating the Procurement Process
Stay tuned for this important ACORN sponsored workshop the first week in December in Middlebury
 Visit Lazy Dog Farm for an authentic farm experience as you enjoy the fall foliage in the lower Champlain Valley
International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) find details for the Annual Winter Clothing Closet, please share your gently worn winter clothes for international and U.S. students in need of warm clothing. Contact Joani Taylor for more info about drop off points.
Local Farmers Markets:
|
 Susan Smiley, a friend of relocalization issues is running for the Vermont House seat in the November election, for the Addison-5, comprised of the towns of New Haven, Weybridge and Bridport. Candidate Smiley, a long -time resident of New Haven, stands with the ideas of relocalization, farm and food issues.
Photo Credit: Trent Campbell at the Addison Independent
|
|
|
Thanks to all of you for sharing links and information. Keep me posted of things of interest to relocalization and Addison County!
Annie Harlow
ACORN Network
802-922-7060
annie@acornvt.org
|
|
|
