🫶 🙌 Sending Gratitude to our Community! 🙌 🫶

The Hoylers are one of many families who love purchasing local food in bulk through our market ("it's like a local Costco!").

If we haven't said it enough times, THANK YOU for making 2023 a banner year for ACORN and the ACORN Food Hub. We are proud to be part of a vibrant community of folks working towards a global right to food. From our fifth year of the Farmacy: Food is Medicine program to another sold out Tour de Farms to enthusiastic support for our growing Food Hub, we know increasing access to local food is as important to you as it is to us.

For a snapshot of our year, check out:

• Our 2023 Impact Report
• A recording of our Annual Meeting presentation

In other news, thanks to our recent award as a Henry P. Kendall Foundation New England Food Vision Prize Winner, we upgraded our cargo van!

With more storage capacity and a refrigerator unit being installed in the new year, we'll be well equipped to continue delivering local food to our neighbors, schools and restaurants, thus increasing food sovereignty in our region. Look for Ronda Burgundy zooming around in the new year!

Help us fill our new van by purchasing from the online market in the new year. The ACORN Online Market is closed for the holidays and will reopen Friday, January 12. Mark your calendars! And sign up to receive emails for weekly availability: market@acornvt.org 

A Big Thanks to our Featured Buyers of the Month: Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union + The Abbey Group

We're so excited to be sending loads of local food to more schools in the region with thanks to the Vermont Agency of Ag's Local Food for Schools Funding.

Seeds for Your 2024 Garden!

The Vermont Garden Network has launched their annual seed bundle donation program to send hundreds of seeds into the hands of gardeners around the state! Each request will receive a bundle of 30 vegetable, herb and flower seed packs. Each bundle includes15 vegetable seed packets and a mix of 15 “other” seed packets that include a variety of herbs, flowers, and microgreens. Many seed packets are organic, some are conventional. They began mailing seed donation bundles on December 1 and continue until March 31, or as supplies last. A $12 shipping and handling charge will apply. Request your seed bundle donation here.

(We also love supporting Fedco Seeds and High Mowing Organic Seeds if you're looking for something specific!).

Resources for Food Producers

• We are co-hosting a listening session with VAAFM on February 13 at the CVUUS in Middlebury, 5-7pm. See image above for details and email Sarah with questions: Sarah.McIlvennie@vermont.gov 
• Two Bad Cats makes innovative farm tools right here in Rutland!
• Land For Good is holding a Farm Succession Planning Webinar Series: January 17, January 24, January 31 and February 7.
• The Farm to Plate Agroforestry Priority Strategy Team is spreading the word about an exciting new project. 
• Log into vvbga.org and CHOOSE your CAPS enrollment level for 2024.
• Vegetable Seed Production Course and Mentorship Available to Growers Throughout the Northeast. Fill out a quick intake form or email Crystal at cls263@cornell.edu.
• Our walk-in freezer is up and running! If you've got extra produce, meat or other products you need to freeze for the short or long term, email Lilah@acornvt.org
• We are still accepting ideas for working bees for our Farmer Climate Network*. Email Lilah@acornvt.org
• Congratulations to Goshen's Ice House Farm, Wells' Larson Farm, and Vergennes' lulu Artisan Ice Cream, for winning Dairy Processor Expansion awards

*Big thanks to VCRD for funding this program!

Local Food System Job Openings

The Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op has several openings

Salvation Farms is looking for their next Executive Director. As this LinkedIn post explains, Theresa Snow will be stepping down in April of 2024. View the full posting here.

VYCC is seeking applicants for their Director of the Food & Farm Program. Interested applicants can learn more about the position HERE.

Vermont Land Trust is hiring a GIS Specialist, among a few other positions.

Help support the future of Vermont's vibrant Village Centers as the VCRD Village Trust Initiative Director! 

• January 10: ACORN Food Hub listening session for growers and food producers. Email Jess for details: Jessica@acornvt.org.
• February 13: ACORN is co-hosting an Agency of Ag Listening Session at the CVUUS in Middlebury (4-6pm)
• February 17-18: NOFA-VT Winter Conference at the University of Vermont's Davis Center (Lindsey willl be speaking on a panel facilitated by UVM's Institute for Agroecology!)
• February 29: Save the date for a Farm to School gathering in Middlebury, open to anyone who works in, or would like to support, Farm to School in Addison County (4-6pm)

Thank you for being a part of our community. Wishing you a warm, nourishing holiday season and a joyous welcoming back of the light. ✨🔥

Sending peace to you and yours,

Lindsey, Jess, Lilah and the ACORN Board

Donate by 12/31 and double your impact! We can't do this work without you; much of what we do is not covered by grants. 🙏