The Intervale Center’s
Healthy City Youth Farm
Building Strong Community Partnerships
In partnership with the Vermont Foodbank, the Intervale Center coordinates volunteers to glean on area farms and collect pre-boxed produce donations from local farms for distribution to Burlington area nonprofits, the Vermont Foodbank, and the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf.
To have us glean at your farm, donate pre-boxed produce, or volunteer to glean with us, contact Erica Goldberg, Gleaning Intern.
ABENAKI HERITAGE GARDEN at the Intervale Center
In partnership with the Abenaki Nation/Missisquoi, Burlington Area Community Gardens- a program of Burlington Parks & Recreation, Gardener’s Supply Company, the US Department of Agriculture, University of Vermont, and the Intervale Center hosts a traditional “three sisters” Abenaki garden. The garden serves as an educational piece demonstrating traditional agriculture of the Abenaki Nation. Produce gleaned from the garden is sent to the Abenaki Tribal Headquarters, where there is also a sister Abenaki garden.
This garden is proud to be part of the Sacred Seed network, a project of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Support for this project is generously provided by New Chapter and by Will and Lynette Raap.
To volunteer with the Abenaki Heritage Garden, please contact Rob Hunt.
The Burlington Food Council is a city-recognized, open community group exploring ways to ensure that Burlington, Vermont and its surrounding communities create and nurture a healthy, equitable and sustainable food system for all people. The Intervale Center is currently coordinating this work. For more information, check out their website.
Burlington School Food project
The Burlington School Food Project connects school kids and families with nearby farms by bringing fresh produce to cafeterias and hands-on agricultural education to students. Through this collaborative effort with Burlington Legacy Project, Burlington School District, City Market/Onion River Co-op, Food Works, NOFA-VT, Shelburne Farms, Sustainable Schools Project, University of Vermont and Vermont FEED, Healthy City was at one time one of the largest independent suppliers of produce to Burlington School District cafeterias. Healthy City youth and staff, along with staff from partner organizations, also led educational field trips attended by more than 500 elementary and middle-school students annually.
Former Intervale Center Programs
Healthy City, a program of the Intervale Center from 2002-2009, was designed in response to the community’s need for job- and life-skills training for at-risk youths; the need for better education about food in our local schools; and the needs of low-income families for fresh produce. Healthy City met these needs during its seven years with the Intervale Center by creating a community of teens and adults dedicated to growing healthy food for themselves, their families, and their community. On November 2, 2009, the Healthy City program relocated from the Intervale Center to its new organizational home with Friends of Burlington Gardens. Friends of Burlington Gardens and the Intervale Center feel that the transition represents a unique opportunity to broaden current farm to school programming to impact more students at more schools over more grade levels. To learn more about the Healthy City Youth Initiative please visit the Friends of Burlington Gardens or contact Jennifer McGowan, Program Director at Jenn@burlingtongardens.org