Thank you for your partnership in Farmers To You. As more families order weekly, you support this partnership to fulfill an important part of our mission to make this wonderful food accessible to all.
Most of you have heard about our donation program and many of you donate each week, allowing us to purchase more of the same farm fresh and nutritious food to donate in your name to a number of organizations here in Vermont and Boston. Last year, the total value of all food donated was over $125,000! A profound thank you!
But I suspect many of you have not heard about a more recent initiative we have launched in partnership with the Working Bridges Employer Collaborative (led by United Way), the Vermont Food Bank, our local hospital and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont. This program makes our food available to single mothers and their children who have fallen off the benefits cliff—earning just enough to lose SNAP and Medicare coverage, but nowhere near enough to make weekly ends meet. They are routinely faced with the choice between buying food or paying for basic needs each week.
This spring we launched The Working Bridges partnership to offer these families a 75% discount on their weekly Farmers To You orders. If you wish to be totally inspired, read a few messages from participants:
“With the price of gas and food so high, the only thing I do is go to work, eat cheap, and hope things get better. This program has offered relief and also some amazing food. So thankful."
"I joined Farmers To You thinking it would be fun to learn about new farms and their products. While it's been fun trying new recipes posted on the website and each week ordering something new to try, it has turned into so much more than just fun for me. This has been a phenomenal benefit that has allowed me to cut down my grocery budget and reallocate some funds. I have also been able to use this to benefit my health directly! I recently learned I am severely anemic and I have been able to purchase high-quality foods- (scallops, high-quality meats, dark leafy greens) that are iron-rich at a very affordable price! Thank you Farmers To You!"
This program is making a profound difference for these families. The food we all purchase weekly from our amazing farmers is just the type of food that heals and, in the words of Rudolf Steiner, assures our wellness and development because it is filled with vitality (paraphrased from the Agriculture Lectures, 1924).
Our mission here at Farmers To You is to build a healthy regenerative regional food system by connecting families with farmers. And we further intend to make this food and connection available to all, regardless of income.
Every one of you helps–simply by ordering your weekly food from Farmers To You and spreading the word to other families so we can grow our membership. The choice to support Farmers To You benefits our community and your family in a powerful way. Your family has access to some of the cleanest and healthiest food available in our foodshed and your purchases and donations give us the capacity to make this same food available to those who cannot afford it. Together we are revitalizing and healing our communities and planet.
Thank you for your partnership! I am so proud of our work together.
