The Vermont Foodbank aims to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables at food shelves by offering VT Fresh cooking demonstrations and taste tests at selected sites.
A primary goal of VT Fresh is to support participating food shelves in increasing their capacity to handle more fresh produce and increasing the demand for fruits and vegetables amongst their visitors. The program is inspired by research on nutrition intervention programs based out of supermarkets and corner stores which have found that modifying the food environment can have a large impact on food related behaviors.
2014 was a successful year for the program and we’re delighted to offer this report (click the image to download the pdf):
Learn more about VT Fresh, including the 11 pilot sites located across Vermont.
“Because clients can take fresh produce from the new shelves in the foyer/intake area whenever BADIC’s office is open, overall access is increased by a magnitude of 50.5 hours each week. The food shelf only operates on certain days. Having “The demos are awesome. Clients love them. They are excited to try foods and often get each other into trying new things. The simple recipes are great.” – Hardwick “The impact was seen immediately with a new retail look promoting dignity and respect for those we serve. Additional impact included a cleaner process and healthier food being distributed to more people.”—CEFS Programs like this wouldn’t be possible without your support. Please consider making a gift to the Vermont Foodbank today!