Julia Scheier, Operations Director for Salvation Farms, stopped by to provide another update on the progress they are making building increased resilience to Vermont's food system through agricultral surplus management.
We first learned about Salvation Farms when Executive Director and Founder Theresa Snow visited us last February. Theresa founded Salvation Farms in 2004 and the organization has won both national and regional awards for their work with gleaning surplus food from farms.
Julia updated us on Salvation Farms' three goals:
- Reducing food loss on farms
- Increasing the use of locally grown foods
- Fostering an appetite for Vermont's agricultural heritage and future
Based on a 2016 study, did you know that 14.3 million pounds of wholesome vegetables and berries are left on Vermont farms each year? Salvation Farms works to glean as much of those leftover farm products as possible and deliver them to 25 food sites through out Vermont. The food sites include non-profit food pantries and groups such as Meals-On-Wheels. They worked with 23 farms and 38 distribution sites last year. Salvation Farms also manages a repackaging food hub in Winooski. To learn more, please email Jake at Jake@salvationfarms.org .
To donate to Salvation Farms, click here. To volunteer, click here. Thank you, Julia, for the update. We look forward to having a Friday meeting at your Winooski Food Hub once the weather warms.