Partnership Programs

Vermont Garden Network offers community programs with help from partnerships across the state! These programs are designed to connect specific populations to gardening education and resources.

Growing Food, Growing Community (GFGC)

GFGC is a food access and garden education program. Our goal is to support residents living at affordable housing units to access fresh produce through hands-on gardening. VGN partners with Champlain Housing Trust and Evernorth to serve a total of 21 affordable housing sites in Chittenden, Windsor, Addison and Washington counties. VGN offers guidance on garden bed design; provides plant starts, seeds, and tools; and conducts season-long workshops to bring together resident gardeners as they learn how to grow, and process, their fresh garden harvests. Review our final reports for the 2024 season for more details: Final Report Evernorth  ||  Final Report Champlain Housing Trust 

Urban Agriculture & Leadership Program 

In partnership with New Farms for New Americans, we have embarked on a three year (2021-2023) USDA-funded grant to implement a comprehensive farmer-to-farmer training program.  We designed an advanced garden curriculum to respond to farmer interest in learning about Vermont-specific agricultural techniques, such as season extension and pest management.  For VGN, this partnership offers an opportunity to broaden our season-long garden education programming to include urban agriculture at the community farm-scale and to work alongside the resettled refugee community. Our partnership was renewed in 2024 for another three year cycle, with a new focus on climate resilient farming practices. As part of our work plan, we are managing demonstration plots to showcase no till agriculture, seed saving culturally meaningful crops, and climate smart practices around soil health and season extension.

Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets: VAAFM runs the state’s Farm to School Grant Program, which, starting in 2017, has involved VGN as a support for VAAFM Farm to School Grantees.

Vermont Department of Forest Parks and Recreation: This year marks the Vermont Garden Network’s (VGN) third year partnering with Vermont Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) on the Vermont Fruit & Nut Tree Grant, with additional sponsorship from Branch Out Burlington! (BOB!). The Vermont Fruit & Nut Tree Grant focuses on increasing public access to fruit and nut trees across the state. This year, VGN was able to award funds for 13 grantees to establish publicly accessible fruit and nut tree orchards. Read more about this grant and its impact by reviewing the 2024 final report.

Other Partnerships

VGN’s work is made possible thanks to the strength of our partnerships and collaborations with a broad range of local, regional, statewide, and national groups.

AARP: offer seasonal webinars and workshops for national and statewide audience

American Community Gardening Association: Our connection to the community garden movement nationally. 

American Meadows: ongoing volunteer relationship and surplus product donations

Burlington Area Community Gardens: provides community garden sites and programs that are accessible, safe and healthy for people of diverse ages, experiences, backgrounds and abilities

Branch out Burlington: technical assistance and funding for Fruit & Nut Tree grants

Charlie Nardozzi: Has been a longtime friend of VGN, partnering on projects such as the rooftop garden at Dealer.com, workshops at senior housing, and gardens at workplaces.

Huertas Project: community-based food security project building gardens for migrant farmworkers

Hunger Free Vermont: VGN is an active member of the Hunger Council of Chittenden County

Institute for Agroecology: partnering on Garden Like a Farmer workshop series and other UVM research and community-based projects

Intervale Center: strengthening community food systems in Burlington through our partnership for the Garden Like a Farmer Workshop series

Kids Gardening: Youth gardening

Living Well Group: for close to 10 years, VGN managed season-long programming to support residents in tending to vegetable, herb, and flower gardens at the Ethan Allen Residence in Burlington.

New England Grassroots Environment Fund: an essential trainer, funder and general resource for New England-based grassroots groups.

NOFA VT: The Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont promotes organic practices to build an economically viable, ecologically sound & socially just Vermont agricultural system that benefits all living things.

ReSOURCE LEAP: VGN facilitates programing for workplace skill development for visually impaired youth

Shelburne Farms: is known worldwide for its Educating for Sustainability program in addition to farm-to-school and farm-based educational professional development and resources for educators. 

Skinny Pancake: partnered on collective gardening trainings & the formation of Seedsong through their Shift Meals initiative

UVM’s statewide Extension Master Gardener a unique volunteer program where Vermonters received training by university faculty and industry professionals on research-based gardening information.

University of Vermont Medical Center: our Gardens for Health program developed curriculum to teach people how to grow food and change health habits – including physical activity, healthy eating and mindfulness.  

Vermont Department of Health: Vermont Department of Health’s SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)-ED program supports our mobile classroom, bringing garden and nutrition education and resources around the state.

Vermont Farm to Plate Network: VGN has been a part of the Vermont Farm to Plate Network since its early years.

Vermont Farm to School Network: As a key resource for school gardens.

Vermont FEED (Food Education Every Day): Vermont FEED provides online resources, teacher professional development, and a New England-wide Farm to School Institute for school teams. 

Winooski Valley Parks District: The Ethan Allen Homestead is the host site our Thriving Gardens course.