Access to healthy food for all community members is ACORN’s end goal, inspiring its mission to promote the growth of local food and agriculture in Vermont’s Champlain Valley.
What is ACORN?
The Addison County Relocalization Network (ACORN) was founded in 2009 to strengthen the local food and farming community.
ACORN serves the Champlain Valley community through its Farmacy and Food Hub programs, as well as other programs that connect families with local food producers and the broader agricultural community.
ACORN: Farmacy Program
The Farmacy: Food is Medicine program addresses three critical needs in Vermont:
- Diet-related illness
- Food insecurity
- Local farm viability
Part community-supported agriculture (CSA), part doctor’s orders, the Farmacy: Food is Medicine program is free for patients who have been referred by their medical care providers.
Farmacy provides CSA shares for families who are experiencing food insecurity and/or diet-related illness.
It has been determined that three behaviors (lack of physical activity, poor diet, and tobacco use) contribute to four diseases (cancer, heart disease, diabetes, lung disease) that cause 50% of all deaths in Vermont.
This project addresses the nutritional and dietary needs of families who are challenged to afford fresh locally grown foods. This need is even more acute now with federal funding cuts affecting both food access and farm viability programs.
Families in the Champlain Valley enroll in the Farmacy program via referral from health care providers, food shelves, school nurses and word of mouth.
Once enrolled, participants receive a free 15-week summer CSA share of fresh fruit and vegetables. Many Farmacy families also receive a winter extension of vegetables, proteins, and eggs.
Alongside increasing access to fresh food, Farmacy educates participants on how to prepare the food, helping to increase agricultural literacy.
Each week’s share includes a newsletter with useful tips and tricks on identifying, storing, and preparing the crops. The program shares a weekly recipe and with corresponding food samples to engage folks in trying new, unfamiliar, or previously disliked foods.
The pick-up day has become a weekly celebration of local foods, and participants report feeling a deeper sense of belonging and joy as a result of the program.
Additionally, the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model provides farmers with a reliable market and steady source of income. This benefits local farm viability by paying true wholesale prices instead of relying on donated products.
In 2024, Farmacy served 100 families with 20,000 pounds of locally grown organic produce.
ACORN: Food Hub Program
ACORN’s focus on promoting local food and agriculture has led it to developing a Food Hub over the last few years.
The ACORN Food Hub helps increase market access for small scale farmers, increasing farm viability and local food access.
The Food Hub offers local supply chain support in the form of an online wholesale market, cold and dry storage, cross docking, delivery and marketing.
ACORN’s Food Hub provides services that support farmers and food producers, and houses the Farmacy: Food is Medicine program.
Through the Food Hub, ACORN makes it easier for wholesale buyers (restaurants, colleges, universities, grocery stores, hospitals, farm stands) to source and provide local food for the community.
The ACORN Food Hub provides farm to school support to local schools, as well as consumer education to the general public.
What Sets ACORN Apart?
ACORN’s work is centered around serving the Champlain Valley community, working to address food insecurity while also supporting local farmers.
Its Farmacy and Food Hub programs provide necessary resources to families and other community members to connect with local farmers.
The Turrell Fund is inspired by ACORN and its work to educate families on gaining access to healthy food products. Thank you for all that you do!
