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ACORN's mission is to cultivate connections that promote the production and use of healthy local food in Addison County, Vermont
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Send events & items of interest for the newsletter to Annie@acornvt.org
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Open Farm Week: your chance to visiting Vermont farms with friends and family. Milk a cow and harvest a carrot at one farm, sit on a tractor and take in the smell of freshly cut hay at another. Find up-to-date lists of participating farms and search by location or product at DigInVT, your portal to Vermont's agriculture and culinary experiences.
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The United Nations declared 2015 the
International Year of Soils
Check out the new video series about soils sponsored by USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Dirt , The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth
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Bella Farm in Monkton participated in spotted wing drosophila (SWD) research. Find out the results of the study and the impact of this pest on
soft fruit and berries in our area
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enjoy the bounty of the county with
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Looking to save money on your food purchases? Order up some food at wholesale prices through Middlebury Foods
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HOPE's Addison County Gleaning program is preparing for the 2015 gleaning season. Volunteers are needed for the field, for delivery, and for veggie processing. Register at the Vermont Gleaning Collective website. You will receive email alerts telling you about upcoming volunteer opportunities and the ability to RSVP to the event. HOPE is preparing for a productive harvest and boosting the supply of local produce to the food shelf. Need more info?
Increasing local food sales through a strong network that includes ACORN
Is your farm or food business listed on the VT Food Atlas? Why not!? |
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8th Annual Tour de Farms: New 5-Town Ride!
 This year's 37 mile Tour starts at the Mt. Abraham Union High School and ends at the Bristol Harvest Festival on the town green September 26th. Registration is open! ACORN's sponsorship of the event highlights food sampling, our rural working landscape and the wonderful geography of the five towns.
ACORN organizes this scenic bike and local food sampling tour through the beautiful rolling farm country of northeast Addison County as an annual fundraiser for our work. The new route will roll through Bristol, New Haven, Monkton, Hinesburg and Starksboro and will showcase the wonderful diversity of farms and local foods in this lesser known part of our county. The terrain is hilly , with a mix of paved and dirt roads so the route is better suited to slightly more experienced riders.
This year we will feature food samples from 18 participating farms
including grilled chicken, Caesar salad, sausage, cheese, apples, grass-fed, beef chili, pesto, goat stew, sweet corn and watermelon, maple syrup delights and artisanal ice cream. Once cyclists return to downtown Bristol, they can join in the Harvest Festival and enjoy live music, food and crafts on the Green.
The Tour de Farms is a rain or shine event. Registration is open so sign up NOW! Advanced registration will close on September 18 at 5:00 PM.
Support our major annual fundraiser by riding or volunteering. Contact ACORN to grab a spot on our volunteer team!
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Enjoy Summer: Shop Outside!
Stop by area farm stands to get the best of the summer season from cheese and meat to produce, Addison County has it all! Need to find farms stands? check out ACORN's Local Food Guide
Vergennes Farmers' Market
Thursday afternoons, 3-6:30 pm, rain or shine
June 11 - October 1, 2015
Middlebury Farmers' Market
Marble Works: The Market has moved to the North parking lot at the Marbleworks, about 300 feet north of the usual location.
9:00 - 12:30
Saturdays - May 2 - October 31
Wednesdays - June 17 - October 14
Please note: Bristol is not having a market this year. Some vendors can be found be at neighboring market
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UVM Annual Crops Field Day
Build Better Soil
Need to learn more on soil building?
Sign up for the annual tour
Thursday July 23rd in Borderview Research Farm
Alburgh, VT
9:15-3:30
The theme for the annual event is Innovation and Diversification...highlights include drone technology to monitor crops, heirloom dry bean trials, head blight control, innovations in seeding cover crops ad new equipment.
There is a tour of research trials starting at 10: 00 AM lots of exhibits, farmers sharing insights and the always great lunch!
Find more info here.
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Harvest of the Month: Berries
 Farmers & Retailers: Check out Harvest of the Month's wonderful recipes and ideas to promote fresh berries at your farm stands, markets, in your CSA shares or at your stores. There are great marketing materials to help you to promote your produce.
Shortcakes, smoothies, cobblers, crisps and pies should be showcased this month!
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BES Landscape Design Contest
 Busy as bees and working together as a team, the Bristol Elementary School's newly formed Farm-to-School Team (made up of interested teachers, food service personnel, parents, administrators and community members) is creating outdoor learning spaces and incorporating edible landscaping at their school.
As a first step toward achieving that goal they sponsored a Landscape Design Contest in partnership with Vermont Edible Landscapes and New Leaf Organics. They thought that the most valuable and inspired ideas were likely to come from the students, teachers and families at BES, and they were right! The contest was open to individuals, classes and families and an after school workshop through the ANESU Expanded Learning Program. 25 plans were received, of which seven winning plans with an eye toward incorporating elements, will be the basis of a master plan.
The Farm to School team is looking for community partners and volunteers to help move this project forward, particularly in the areas of fundraising, building and planting. If you are interested in supporting this project in any way, or becoming a member of our Farm-to-School team, please contact Kim Pandiani at Bristol Elementary School (453-3227) or at kpandiani@anesu.org.
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Events, Opportunities & Jobs
July 30-August 1, 2015 Skowhegan
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 Thanks to all of you for sharing links and information. Keep me posted of things of interest to relocalization and Addison County.
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