Farm Stand Together
Farm Fresh Food. For Free.
Delicious Food on your Terms in your Community
We believe that everyone should have access to the delicious foods Vermont farmers are growing and making.
The Farm Stand Together mutual food aid program will be providing gift cards for use at a small selection of farm stands across Vermont. The program is in trial and access in this first round will be limited. (See Questions section below for details.)
Gift cards will work like regular credit cards at participating farm stands, and can be used to purchase any items at the stand. They can be spent all at once or over time.
Convenient
Buy what you want and need – there are no strings attached to your gift card. Shop at the location that's most accessible to you.
Affordable
Use your Farm Stand Together gift card to reduce the cost of buying local food.
Healthy
Buy food grown and produced thoughtfully to provide nutritious – and delicious – food.
Communal
Keep Vermont money in the Vermont community. Shop for your groceries from farmers and producers in your own area.
Get Started
Apply for a gift card
We are now accepting applications for our pilot farm stand gift card program.
Use your Gift Card at your local farm stand
You’ll use the gift card at your community farm stand where you can shop for a variety of fresh and seasonal foods, including products like meat, bread, pizza, salsa, and canned items, in addition to the vegetables and fruit you’d expect. You can shop at a time that works for you and buy what you want and need.
Bring home the food to heat up, cook and enjoy
Shop weekly at the farm stand or stock up for longer. Consider the farm stand your new grocery store.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this program available to anyone?
Yes, this program is available to anyone. We recognize that people's food needs can change over time, and hope to provide food security to the broadest possible audience. While anyone can apply, we ask that you only apply for a gift card if you are experiencing food insecurity.
How will you be deciding who receives a card? Will everyone who applies get one?
This program is in trial and the first round will have limited funds available. How many people receive cards, and how much money is available on the cards, will be determined by the number of applicants and their individual needs. Applicants will be prioritized based on need, location, and farmstand capacity.
What happens after I apply? When will I receive my card?
We are planning on using the application data to finalize the list of farm stands by the end of March. In April, we will contact you to inform you whether you have been selected to receive a gift card, and provide details on how gift cards will be distributed. We expect to send gift cards by mid-May.
How much money will be on a card? How many cards will I receive?
We will be providing a minimum of a single card worth $50. The final number of cards, and amount of money per card, will be determined by the number of applications as well as the level of need for applicants.
What farmstands are going to be available?
We are still evaluating the list of farm stands that will be included. We will use the locations of applicants to finalize the list for our pilot program. Our goal is to include a selection of farmstands that are accessible for the majority of Farm Stand Together applicants.
Will cards expire?
Final details will be determined based on the gift card capabilities of participating farmstands, but we expect gift cards to be usable for at least one year after creation.
Will you be physically mailing gift cards, or emailing them?
We will be providing physical cards to anyone receiving them.
How can I learn more about Vermont's farmstands?
You can find a list of Vermont farm stands on NOFA Vermont's website!
About Farm Stand Together
Farm Stand Together is a pilot mutual aid program that relies on the strengths of Vermont's agricultural community to provide convenient access to healthy, delicious food to those who need it most. In mutual-aid systems, people work cooperatively to meet the needs of everyone in their community.
The Covid-19 pandemic changed how Vermont farms sell and distribute their food. Many farms have expanded their farm store options and now accept credit cards via digital point of sale systems. These changes enable a new form of food aid: direct assistance to consumers via farmstand gift cards. Farm Stand Together looks to provide convenient access to the growing network of farm stands that exist across Vermont.
Farm Stand Together is sponsored by private donors, in coordination with NOFA Vermont.
