Green Mountain Farm-to-School

What Green Mountain Farm-to-School does

Green Mountain Farm-to-School (GMFTS) is a nonprofit organization founded around 2012 and headquartered in Newport, Vermont, that strengthens local food systems and expands equitable access to local food in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom and adjacent Northern and Central Vermont. The organization operates three core programs: (1) Farm-to-School educational programming, which delivers hands-on cooking, gardening, and farm field-trip experiences to 17 Northeast Kingdom schools; (2) Green Mountain Farm Direct, a regional food hub connecting 60 Vermont farms and food businesses with 75 school and institutional buyers across an 83-town distribution network; and (3) The Lunchbox, a mobile food truck providing free summer meals to children and teens 18 and under, complemented by the Market Basket free-produce table. Supporting initiatives include Vermont Way Foods (a 2020 multi-organization collaboration expanding market access for Vermont producers, including a certified organic produce line), Harvest of the Month programming, and partnerships with AmeriCorps service members.

GMFTS is funded primarily through grants, foundation support, corporate sponsorships, and individual donations rather than commercial revenue. Financial supporters include the Henry P. Kendall Foundation (2025 New England Food Vision Prize), the Vermont Community Foundation, USDA Rural Development, Wholesome Wave, and Community National Bank. The organization employs a lean staff team of approximately six identified professionals — Executive Director Catherine Cusack, Development Manager Rose Lovett, Farm-to-School Program Manager Elyse Perambo, Food Hub Account Manager Becca Perrin, and two Food Access coordinators — supplemented by AmeriCorps members placed at partner schools.

The business model is mission-driven and grant-funded: free meals and educational programming carry no price to end beneficiaries, while the food hub operates a procurement-and-distribution model serving institutional buyers. Recent strategic pressures include the 2025 federal cancellation of the Local Food Purchase Assistance and Local Food for Schools programs, partially offset by the New England Food Vision Prize. GMFTS has no proprietary technology platform, app, or AI capabilities; its technology footprint is limited to a content-managed website, email newsletter (Mailchi), PayPal donation processing, and organic social channels.

Name

Green Mountain Farm-to-School

Legal name

Green Mountain Farm-to-School

Website

https://greenmountainfarmtoschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Green Mountain Farm-to-School is a Vermont-based nonprofit that strengthens local food systems in the Northeast Kingdom through farm-to-school education, a regional food hub serving 60 farms and 92 schools, and The Lunchbox free summer meal program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Newport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Green Mountain Farm-to-School is a nonprofit that operates a coordinated suite of programs strengthening local food systems in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. Core offerings include Farm-to-School educational programming (cooking, gardening, farm field trips in schools), Green Mountain Farm Direct (a food hub connecting 60 farm partners with 92 school/institutional buyers across 83 towns), and The Lunchbox (a mobile food truck providing free summer meals to youth 18 and under).

Product overview

Green Mountain Farm-to-School is a nonprofit organization offering a coordinated suite of programs that strengthen local food systems in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. The core offerings include: Farm-to-School (hands-on educational programming connecting students to local food through cooking, gardening, and farm field trips), Green Mountain Farm Direct (a food hub connecting 60 farm partners with 92 school and institutional buyers), and The Lunchbox (a mobile food truck providing free summer meals to youth). Supporting programs include Vermont Way Foods (a collaborative initiative expanding market access for Vermont producers), Harvest of the Month (celebrating local produce in schools), and the Market Basket (providing free produce to community members). Together, these programs work to increase equitable access to local foods, support Vermont farms, and improve the quality of school meals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Lunchbox: Mobile food truck and free summer meal service program that provides meals to children and teens, operated in partnership with the community. Includes the Market Basket table providing free produce.

Products and services

• Farm-to-School Connects students to food through hands-on farm-to-school programs in Northeast Kingdom schools, including cooking, gardening, and farm field trips. Also helps schools across Northern and Central Vermont buy more from nearby farms and improve school meal quality.
• Green Mountain Farm Direct A local food hub that connects Vermont farms and food businesses (60 partners) with local buyers, from schools to co-ops, providing targeted marketing and sales support to help farms grow. Distribution network spans 83 towns across Northern and Central Vermont.
• The Lunchbox A mobile food truck and free summer meal service that provides free grab-and-go lunches for kids and teens 18 and under, operating at various locations throughout the Northeast Kingdom during summer months. Includes the Market Basket table providing free produce.
• Vermont Way Foods A collaboration founded in 2020 with other organizations to expand market access for Vermont farmers and producers, including a certified organic produce line.
• Harvest of the Month A monthly program where AmeriCorps Farm-to-School Coordinators collaborate with member schools to cook with students in celebration of local Vermont produce, featuring a different local food item each month.
• Market Basket

Quantifiable outcome

• 60 farm and food business partners connected to local markets
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Orleans Central Supervisory Union (OCSU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGMFTS partners with OCSU on the New England Food Vision Prize project to develop effective response plans to severe weather events affecting local food systems.
• NOFA-VT (Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner in the New England Food Vision Prize initiative, hosting focus groups for Northeast Kingdom Farm Resilience and Farm-to-School Network activities.
• Salvation FarmscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to promote greater access to fresh, locally grown food. Salvation Farms donates fresh produce to the Market Basket table at The Lunchbox, reducing food waste while expanding food access.
• Vermont Way FoodscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGMFTS is a founding member of Vermont Way Foods, a collaboration launched in 2020 to expand market access for Vermont farmers and producers, including a certified organic produce line.
• Jasper Hill FarmminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal farm partner donating cheese products to the Market Basket table at community events. Supports GMFTS programs through in-kind donations.
• AmeriCorpscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGMFTS hosts AmeriCorps Farm-to-School Coordinators who serve member schools, providing experiential learning opportunities and supporting school gardens and food programs.
• Vermont Fresh NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for chef, farmer, and food producer networking events to build connections in the local food ecosystem.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=E95BlIqsXsA
• Facebookfacebook.com/Greenmountainfarmtoschool
• Instagraminstagram.com/gmfts
• Xx.com/gmfts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Green Mountain Farm-to-School