NEKCOA Announces Fresh Produce Pilot Program With Salvation Farms

Meg Burmeister, the Executive Director for the NEK Council on Aging is pleased to announce a new pilot program in partnership with Salvation Farms to deliver fresh produce to area community meal sites.

Salvation Farms, located in Morrisville, VT, is a non-profit organization that coordinates the collection of Vermont grown, surplus fruits and vegetables and distributes them throughout Vermont and beyond. In 2018, their Lamoille Valley Gleaning program captured and moved an excess of 200,000 servings of wholesome, locally grown produce that would have remained on farms, never to be eaten. This nutritious food was provided to programs that feed some of the regions more vulnerable residents.

“Salvation Farms started gleaning the Lamoille Valley in north, central Vermont fifteen years ago. We provide direct service to farms, organize volunteers, collect produce from fields and wash/pack-houses, and coordinate distribution of nutrient dense food to folks with limited access to the fresh food grown in their communities,” said Theresa Snow, Executive Director of Salvation Farms. “We are eager to explore this expanded distribution opportunity with the NEK Council on Aging and to make Vermont’s agricultural bounty available to seniors in the state’s northeast region.”

Laura Valcour, the NEKCOA’s Director of Nutrition and Wellness is excited about the project. “We’re thrilled to establish the partnership with Salvation Farms in the Northeast Kingdom. What an incredible opportunity to support our local farms, our communities, and our food system. It’s a win-win for all.”

The NEKCOA/Salvation Farms pilot program will include five meals sites: Barton (BASSI), Glover, Lyndonville, Orleans, and West Burke. Produce will be delivered weekly in an effort to use locally sourced food and to improve the nutritional value of the meals.

“Whether you are an older Vermonter who can’t get out to shop for food, are recovering from surgery and can’t cook (and need temporary meals delivered), or you want to get out and join your friends and neighbors in a community dining experience, the NEK Council on Aging has resources to help you be healthy, happy, and enthusiastic about what you eat,” said Burmeister.