Bread Fairy loaves The year 2020 has been a roller-coaster ride for restaurants and other food businesses. In mid-March, the State of Vermont ordered restaurants and bars to close to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The rules were relaxed in late May, and restaurants reopened with restrictions in place. Current regulations limit restaurant diners to one household per party. As rules shifted, so did the food and beverage industry. Takeout took off, and restaurants offered groceries and other provisions along with meals. Bars mixed cocktails to-go. Heat-and-eat meals popped up at farms, general stores and at least one brewery. On the consumer end, demand increased for locally grown and produced goods, from beef to beets. Farmstands expanded their offerings, CSAs added members, and farmers morphed into truck drivers and made food drops on front stoops. Baking bread became a tre
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BRATTLEBORO â As many as 65 local familiesâ holidays were brightened this week with a box of local food thanks to Retreat Farm and dozens of farmers, bakers, cheesemongers, and local businesses.
âItâs been a hard year for all of us but these boxes are a true testament to our generous and resilient community. We are so grateful to all the people, farms and businesses that contributed to this effort to feed our community,â said Lu Neuse, managing director of Programs and Stewardship at Retreat Farm.
The holiday food box distribution was sponsored by WW Building Supply. Weighing in at over 60 lbs, each box contained donated apples, flour, bread, and cheese from Dutton Farm, King Arthur Baking Company, Against the Grain, and Grafton Village Cheese Company. Additional food for the boxes was provided at discount by Food Connects, the Brattleboro Food Co-op, Butter Mountain Bakery, and Miller Farm. Each box al
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BRATTLEBORO â Food Connects successfully wrapped up their 2020 Taste of Food Connects initiative in late Novemberâraising over $6,000 for the organization and promoting 75 different local businesses in the Brattleboro and Keene regions.
The Taste of Food Connects was a two-part event â a silent auction to raise money for Food Connectsâ Annual Fund and a âlocal passportâ to encourage community members to shop locally and support small, local businesses. âWe are so grateful to all the individuals and businesses that participated in this event,â says Richard Berkfield, Food Connects executive director. âWe are working hard to strengthen our community ties and fortify a resilient local economy. It is truly humbling to see so many people from both sides of the river, coming together and supporting our efforts to build community during these challenging times.â