Pumpkins are one of my favorite signs of abundance in Vermont. I love watching them ripen in the fields, then pop up in farm stands, and finally make it to porch displays alongside mums or as jack-o-lanterns. It’s the late harvest and a reminder of the importance of preparing for the months ahead.
Many of our neighbors who utilize food assistance will find it challenging to prepare for the winter and stock up after the year we’ve had. There was the first-ever interruption in 3SquaresVT benefits (also known as SNAP or “food stamps”) in the history of the program. And subsequent federal changes have already left more than 5,000 Vermont neighbors without federal food support, including veterans, people who are unhoused, and adults aged 55 to 64.
This issue of Kernels shares stories about how Vermont Foodbank, our network, and donors are helping neighbors weather these challenges, while centering dignity, inclusion, and meaningful community relationships.
You’ll read about a partnership serving up preferred foods for Afghan families in Montpelier, how one resilient community member has weathered financial ups and downs, and a farm that’s helping make locally grown produce accessible for more neighbors.
The food and services that neighbors like you make available provide relief from the stress of not having enough food on the table, and help families and friends celebrate the festive season the way we all want to…with a delicious meal. Let’s keep showing up, together, to meet the vision of a Vermont where everyone has equitable access to enough nourishing food to thrive.
It’s the season of gratitude and I’m giving thanks for this extraordinary community, and all you help make possible.
John Sayles, CEO
P.S. If you have a story to share or an idea that you’d like us to consider writing about in a future edition, please let us know!
The Montpelier Community Market—a Vermont Foodbank partner—and the Central Vermont Refugee Action Network are working together, with support from you, to ensure that families have access to favorite, familiar foods in all seasons.
Hunger is solvable. Its causes include policy choices, economic conditions, and structural inequities. Vermont Foodbank is committed to helping change these factors so that everyone in Vermont has equitable access to enough nourishing food to thrive.
Barney and Chris are the owners of Sunrise Orchards, a family-run apple farm in Cornwall that became a Vermont Foodbank donor in 2025, when Barney reached out to offer the Foodbank more than 120 bushels of Paula Red apples, ensuring more neighbors could have access to the tasty autumn treat.
