U.S. House of Representatives Vermont Congresswoman Becca Balint takes notes as she listens to Theresa Snow, founder and executive director of Salvation Farms, and Tony Risitano, the clearinghouse director who oversees Salvation Farms services to Vermont farms, during an informational meeting held January 24, at the Center for an Agricultural Economy. Salvation Farms is a Vermont nonprofit based in Morrisville.
MORRISVILLE – Salvation Farms invited Vermont’s Congresswoman Becca Balint to join them for an informational meeting last Wednesday, January 24. The organization’s executive director, Theresa Snow was joined by Salvation Farms’ Clearinghouse Director, Tony Risitano and two of Salvation Farms’ Board members, Jane Macan and Colin Giblin.
The meeting was hosted by the Center for an Agricultural Economy at their Vermont Food Venture Center in Hardwick, where Salvation Farms is a frequent renter of their commercial kitchen space to produce minimally processed, frozen food from surplus vegetables that Vermont farms have no market for. After a half hour conversation with Balint and her staff about Salvation Farms mission, vision, and work, Representative Balint received a short tour of the Vermont Food Venture Center prior to joining Salvation Farms staff and volunteers in the kitchen to prepare some locally-grown, surplus carrots for a quick blanch prior to freezing and bagging.
Vermont Congresswoman Becca Balint (center) feeds carrots into a food processor as Tony Risitano (right), clearinghouse director for Salvation Farms, explains the process. At left is Theresa Snow, the executive director of Salvation Farms. A brief tour of operations and a demonstration was held after an informational meeting on Salvation Farms, which was hosted by the Center for an Agricultural Economy, January 24.
The Center for an Agricultural Economy Just Cut production team leader Josh Peets, adds freshly diced potatoes to drain totaling an amount of 480 pounds of potatoes prepared that day by the Just Cut vegetable program team of five. Potatoes, carrots, beets and cabbages go to K-12 schools and institutions throughout Vermont.
The carrots being processed on this day were donated by Pete’s Greens as they were not destined for any paying market. Once frozen, they will be stored and later distributed to food shelves and senior meal programs within the Lamoille Valley and Northeast Kingdom.
