Foodbank Farm : Food Works at Two Rivers Center

In 2006, the Vermont Foodbank teamed up with Food Works to launch the first-ever statewide "Foodbank Farm" at the Two Rivers Center. In this first year, we grew and contracted with three additional farms to provide close to 40,000 pounds of fresh, nutritious food for distribution through the statewide Foodbank network, accompanied by classes in nutrition education, food preservation and cooking for the recipient families.

During 2007, the Foodbank Farm at Two Rivers Center and four additional local farms are contracted to grow over 45,000 pounds of food. Food Works' food and nutrition education staff will be conducting taste tests and workshops at a variety of food shelves and meal site during the season.

Recent data confirms what volunteers at local food shelves and hunger and poverty advocates across the state have known for years: Hunger has been on the rise across Vermont since the beginning of this decade.This quiet crisis is expected to worsen as rising fuel oil prices drive up the cost of food and the cost of living, leaving little if any money left over for fresh vegetables among the poor. Moreover, as this nutrient-dense local produce becomes costlier than ever for the working poor, their overall health and well-being is subsequently declining, especially among children.

This unique collaborative venture between Food Works and the Vermont Foodbank is designed not only to make fresh locally produce available to the neediest, but more importantly to empower the underserved community with the knowledge and skills to grow, cook and preserve healthy food, thereby seeding local food security for future generations.