New Podcast Series: Farm to School Northeast

As part of our food system education work, we facilitate the Northeast Farm to School Collaborative, an active group of innovators working within their states and regionally to advance farm to school through networking, peer sharing, collaborative projects, policy, and convenings.

The Collaborative has launched a podcast exploring the creative ways that local food is getting into school cafeterias and how food system education is playing out in classrooms and school gardens across the Northeast. 

But, what exactly is farm to school? It’s a big concept. To find a common thread, podcast creator Dinah Mack asked eight people working in the movement to share their definitions. Among the interviewees are Betsy Rosenbluth and Dana Hudson, two longtime Vermont farm to school champions. 

Read on for excerpts from Dana and Betsy, and listen to the full episode below:

New episodes will be released monthly. Learn more and tune in wherever you listen to podcasts.

Betsy Rosenbluth, Co-Director, Vermont FEED & Farm to School Director, Shelburne Farms Institute for Sustainable Schools

"I describe farm to school as “making food real.” It's connecting students to where food comes from, and what it does for them: for their bodies, their communities, and their local economies. And through farm to school, they know how to grow and cook food, and what happens to waste; they know the food on their plate is tied to energy, poverty, land, water, social justice, and so many other global issues."

Dana Hudson, Coordinator, Vermont Farm to School & Early Childhood Network

"I’ve always felt that the term “farm to school” isn't the right term, but it's the best term we have. It casts a wide net, and everyone's here for different reasons. Someone might be here because they really care about children's nutrition. Someone else is here because they worry about farm viability. There are people that are here because they were hungry as children, and they want to make sure other people aren't hungry. There are people here that are more concerned about climate and sustainability. 

Farm to school really is the most powerful beginning to changing the food system as a whole. I really believe that farm to school is the path forward to really rectify a lot of the broken elements of our food system."