By Hannah Baxter

Every Monday afternoon from July through October, the Intervale Center hosts a free CSA-style vegetable distribution called Fair Share. The program feeds more than 225 households in the Burlington area. Through the Fair Share, we distribute food gleaned from local farms, food donated by local farms, food grown by our very own People’s Farm, and food purchased from local producers through Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) grant funding. This past Monday, July 8th, marked the beginning of the 2024 Fair Share season. This week also happens to be my last week at the Intervale Center.

After five years managing the Intervale Center’s Food Access program, I’ve seen our work grow, evolve, and adapt to a changing climate and world. We’ve navigated feeding the community during a global pandemic and after catastrophic flooding events. In the five years I’ve been working with farmers, volunteers, organizational partners, and community members, we’ve distributed more than 356,000 lbs. of food and supported the distribution of 500,000 meals through Everyone Eats. Our team has grown from one staff person supported by five seasonal interns to a full-time, year-round team of three within the Intervale Center that supports our constantly evolving and nuanced approach to food access.

The Food Access program has matured into a year-round, free food offering, with food purchasing supported by both the Intervale Food Hub and Vermont Food Bank. Our team prioritizes providing our community members with dignified, low-barrier access to locally grown foods. Our approach is rooted in systems change – addressing the root causes of hunger and deepening our statewide impact with regional partnerships while operating day-to-day programming that works to address immediate food security needs in the greater Burlington area.

I’m stepping away from this role with immense gratitude to my coworkers, colleagues, and community. This position has challenged me to grow personally and professionally. It’s provided me with an opportunity to center equity in my work and build community during a time of isolation and uncertainty. I’m proud to hand the program off to our new Food Access Manager, Gabby Boyson. I look forward to continuing to support the program and the Intervale Center in my new role as the Network Manager at Farm to Plate.

Looking Back on Five Years of Food Access