Last Thursday, I attended a Farm to School conference at SIT, an International training school here in Brattleboro. It was a phenomenal experience. Not only did I get to network with area teachers and food-service providers, but was  surrounded by people that are passionate about agriculture - just like me.  

What I appreciate about Vermont the most, is their ACTION towards connecting food with their students.  I know many other states are working on the same issue and I applaud their efforts.  There are many programs such as Ag In the Classroom, Farm to School or even Jamie's Food Revolution, that encourage us to minimize the gap between agriculture and our mouths.  As someone that grew up on a farm in Minnesota, it is motivating for me to participate in such programs, as well as getting Grafton Village Cheese involved. We are, after all, producing food. It is our duty to educate all of you on how we produce our product, so that you know where it's coming from.

That is why we are developing a curriculum for dairy education for 6th-8th graders.  We feel that the science behind dairy and cheesemaking is something that can be a hands-on educational experience for students.  We just completed our first pilot program with a school here in Vermont. The students had a blast learning about the different breeds of dairy cattle, what dairy cows eat, the day in the life of a dairy farmer as well as how cheese is made.  They ended the program with a trip to Grafton Village Cheese and a visit to a near-by dairy farm.  My focus at the Farm to School conference was to let teachers know this program is out there.  We are very encouraged by the number of teachers that are interested and look forward to moving forward with our program, with intentions of going state-wide.

What other efforts have you seen that promote agriculture or the farm to fork-type movement?