Little Free Food Pantry

A June 2020 research study found that Vermont ranked second in the nation for jobs lost due to the coronavirus pandemic. Even with more Vermonters back to work, COVID-19 continues to take a toll: 22,000 fewer Vermonters are working now as compared to last year and jobs in the leisure and hospitality sector are still down 35 percent.

Farming and farm-based products are embedded in the cultural fabric of Vermont. Agriculture may not look like it did fifty years ago but it is still critical to Vermont’s economy, health, and working landscape. This has proven to be fundamental to our resilience during the pandemic. Vermont’s food system—growers, processors, distributors, restaurants, grocery stores, farmers’ markets, etc.—continue to meet the demand from local consumers uncertain of national supply chains and they are stretching in new ways to ensure no Vermonters go hungry.

It is no secret that the last few months have been really difficult. Due to COVID-19, people across the nation are experiencing higher levels of anxiety and depression.