About Healthy Roots
As a program of the Northwest Regional Planning Commission, we work to improve food access, education, and develop essential infrastructure and programs that support farm viability---All of which directly impacts the health and wellness of our Northwest Vermont Communities.
OUR COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS
- HOST ORGANIZATION: Northwest Regional Planning Commission
- Franklin County Industrial Development Corporation
- Franklin/Grand Isle Community Action
- Franklin County Natural Resources Conservation District
- Lake Champlain Basin Program
- South Hero Land Trust
- The Abbey Group
Our Program Areas
Learn about the work we do in the community to build a thriving Northwest Vermont!
Healthy Roots works with local farms to glean & distribute produce that they can’t sell. Healthy Roots also purchases local produce that we distributed in 3 ways in 2023: through the Northwest Farmacy CSA in partnership with the NOTCH Richford Health Center, at NOTCH health center grab-and-go fridges, and the through Migrant Household Food Boxes in partnership with CVOEO & Bridges to Health.
Healthy Roots maintains a network of growers and makers in Northwest VT. We offer them 1-on-1 business assistance in sales and marketing to help them reach their short & long-term business goals.
Healthy Roots provides opportunities for schools to visit farms to learn about agriculture, food access and to help glean!
Gleaning & Food Access Highlights
Collaborative Work Strengthens Community
Despite a challenging growing season in 2023 - with relentless rain and flooding - Healthy Roots gleaned and received near record donations of produce from farm partners, helping us provide emergency food sites with much sought after veggies. Several pandemic-era initiatives came to an end in spring 2023, which left a void in resources precisely when the demand for support was increasing. Thanks to generous grant funding, Healthy Roots was able to increase our purchasing of local produce, providing greater access beyond the food we glean and rescue. Through local purchasing we were able to distribute 69 CSA shares for two of our food box programs and stock grab-and-go fridges at 8 health clinics. Purchasing from our farm partners also helped support them in a difficult growing season. With additional generous grant support, we purchased a gleaning truck and refrigerated trailer this summer and renovated a storage space in the fall. These investments have already had a big impact on our programming. We also celebrated having our first CCV gleaning intern during the busy harvest season.
48,720 lbs.
gleaned, purchased, recovered and grown
2023 Gleaning & Food Access in Numbers
We Welcomed
4
New Farm Partners
Who added to a total of 20 farms participating in our gleaning and food access programming.
Growth in Food Purchasing
In Partnership with 7 Farms
This purchasing contributed produce to 3 food access programs.
21 out of 33 Recipient Sites
Received Regular Food Deliveries
This included food shelves, hot meal sites, health clinics, and a youth center.
Farm & Food Business Support
Healthy Roots Collaborative maintains a network of growers and markers in Northwest VT. We offer them direct service in business & infrastructure development and new market access.
Average of 12.5% Increase in Sales
Through our work with 6 different farms over the course of 2023, we saw an average of 12.5% increase in sales. This work also saw the development of sales & marketing plans, Cost of Production analysis, website development/updates and the development of 2 new products!
60 Farms Engaged in Programming
Through work in partnership with South Hero Land Trust, Franklin Country Natural Resources Conservation District, NOTCH Richford Health Center, VHCB Farm Viability Program, Intervale, and Center for An Agricultural Economy, HRC provided 1-on-1 business assistance as well as held events throughout the year to support the agricultural economy here in Northwest VT.
Farm to School
Healthy Roots Collaborative provides opportunities for schools to visit local farms to learn about agriculture, food access, and to help glean!
11 Gleaning Field Trips & Presentation
Throughout 2023, we actively involved 6 schools in gleaning field trips at local farms. During these trips, students participated in the hands-on experience of harvesting various crops, such as, apples, cabbages, lettuce, and squash. They also were a part of in-class presentations provided by the Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi.
180 Students Engaged in Programming
In addition to planting & harvesting, students saw different stages of getting crops ready for market, such as operating a root washer to clean potatoes and carrots. This not only fosters a connection between students and the farming community but also provides them with a deeper understanding of the individuals growing and supplying food in our region.
Regional Snapshot
Brought into the community through local produce purchasing.
Food Recipient Sites served
Gleaning Field Trips & Presentations
Volunteers engaged in Healthy Roots Programming
NOTCH Health Center grab-and-go fridges stocked weekly
Farms received one-on-one business assistance
CSAs sourced for HRC Food Box Programming
2023 Achievements
NEW Storage Facility in Sheldon in Partnership with CVOEO
This new storage site opened for use in November 2023. This building will support HRC & CVOEO Food Access Programming.
160% Increase in Local Food Purchasing
Both the Northwest Farmacy CSA & Migrant Household Food Boxes saw growth this year with 30 households and 39 households being reached, respectively. Also, 8 NOTCH Health Center grab-and-go fridges were stocked weekly.
NEW Hybrid Truck & Trailer for Food Access Programming
With funding from the Economic Development Adminstration, HRC was able to purchase equipment to improve quality & efficency of HRC Food Access programming.
2023
Healthy Roots Funding
VERMONT COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
ADMINISTRATION
Sheldon Warehouse
Before
After
Local Food Purchasing
In Review
Healthy Roots and NOTCH expanded the Northwest Farmacy CSA in our 2nd year. 30 individuals received weekly CSAs sourced from 3 local farms over the course
of 14 weeks. We also partnered with the NOTCH to regularly stock 8 mini-fridges with local produce & eggs which were available to all NOTCH patients.
Health Roots also regularly provided locally preferred produce to up to 39 migrant households sourced from 4 local farms in partnership with Feeding Chittenden and Bridges to Health over the course of 9 week
Thank you.
To all of our community/collaborative partners, farmers, food producers, funders, and volunteers, you make this programming possible as we continue to build a healthy Northwest Vermont with a community rooted in a strong agricultural economy with thriving farms, where all are connected to and nourished by local farms and food.
www.healthyrootsvt.org
@healthyrootsvt
@healthyrootscollaborative
cporcaro@nrpcvt.com & pjenkins@nrpcvt.com
