As we continue to follow the developing news around COVID-19, we want to let you know what we’re doing at Good Heart to safely maintain your access to fresh food.
Rest assured, we’re following all CDC and VT Department of Health recommendations, and we continue to follow our CAPS Food Safety Plan, which we use year-round.
On top of regular hand washing, cleaning and sanitizing of surfaces, we’re also wearing gloves at every step of the harvesting and packing process.
As farmers, parents, and community members, our number one priority is to maintain and reinforce our health — and eating vegetables is a great way to do that!
One of the benefits of local veggies is the short chain between farm to plate. Unlike in the supermarkets, there are just 1 – 2 people in contact with the vegetables from our greenhouse to you.
Plus, organic vegetables grown in living soil are nutrient-dense, and free of pesticides and herbicides, all of which supports your health.
Along with focusing on food safety from production to delivery, we’re also thinking of our low-income customers and neighbors and want to share a few ways we can all help ensure food access during this time.
This year, we’ve transitioned to giving 10% of each Farm Share sale toward subsidized shares.
That means 10% of what you pay us goes directly to subsidizing shares for those who can’t afford a full share otherwise.
We also work with the NOFA-VT Farm Share Program, which just opened applications for the Summer. The FSP matches our donations and allows us to subsidize shares for even more families.
On top of this, we accept EBT/SNAP (food stamps) as payment, and EBT customers can pay for their shares on a weekly basis, rather than in larger installments.
If you’d like to support subsidized shares for low-income families, please consider donating to the Farm Share Program either directly through NOFA-VT, or by adding a donation when you sign up for a Spring or Summer Share.
The Vermont Food Bank is another great place to donate.
1 in 4 Vermonters struggle with hunger. A $30 donation to the Vermont Food Bank provides 50 meals to those in need.
We just donated $30 last night, and we encourage you to donate what you’re able to — every little bit helps.
If you have more ways to help support those most vulnerable during this time, please hit reply and let us know!
If you have any concerns, please feel free to reach out anytime.
We’ll continue following the news and our food safety plan. Remember, even as we practice self-distancing and isolating, we’re all in this together.
We’ll also continue planting, growing, and delivering fresh local organic food to support your health, and we’re always just an email or phone call away if you want to talk about anything.
In Good Heart,
Kate & Edge