Tune into the DigInVT Podcast, a production of Vermont Fresh Network!
We're talking with chefs, farmers, and others in Vermont's food community who raise the food we eat, and bring it to our table.
This 6-episode series features the relationships among Vermont Fresh Network members, and showcases how mission-driven food businesses can have an impact on their local communities and Vermont's rural economy. So come on, take a seat at the table, and hear all about it.
All episodes will be released in November and December of 2023.
Check out the DigInVT Podcast press release on the Vermont Fresh Network blog!
Tune into the DigInVT Podcast, a production of Vermont Fresh Network!
Now available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.
Episode 1: Vermont Ingredients in Belizean Cuisine
ChaCha Garna is a food tent and catering company that has brought Belizean cuisine to the Burlington Farmers Market, the South End Get Down, and other favorite events across Vermont this summer. Owners Morgan Bouloy and Ashton Harrewyn chat with our executive director Tara Pereira about how their company came to life, their first season running a food tent, and how they've built connections and partnerships with local producers to celebrate Vermont ingredients while crafting internationally-inspired cuisine.
Now available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts
Episode 2: Cutting Edge: A Sustainable Whole Animal Butcher Shop at the Center of a Small Town
Peter Varkonyi owns and runs Brownsville Butcher & Pantry with his partner Lauren Stevens. Peter talks with our executive director Tara Pereira about his farm and producer partners, how he attracts and keeps great staff, his commitment to the Brownsville community, and so much more.
Now available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts
Episode 3: Ingredients for Change: Community and Connection through Local Food
Nicole Grenier and Stephanie Biczko own and run Stowe Street Cafe, a Waterbury institution that celebrates local food, local artists, and the local community. On this episode, VFN's executive director Tara Pereira chats with this duo about how Stowe Street Cafe came to be, what they do, and some of the exciting things they have on the horizon.
Now available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts
Episode 4: Cultivating Flavor from Garden to Table
For more than a decade, Master Gardener Benjamin Pauly of Kelly Way Gardens has been growing fresh produce for the Woodstock Inn and Resort, where Chef Matthew McClure turns them into exciting offerings on the hotel's menu. On this episode, they speak with VFN's executive director Tara Pereira about the relationship between the inn and gardens, and how the gardens help give Woodstock visitors a taste of agriculture in action.
Now available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts
Episode 5: A Farmer’s Perspective on Restaurant Partnerships
Christa Alexander owns and runs Jericho Settlers Farm with her husband, Mark. Christa chats with our executive director Tara Pereira about Jericho Settlers' journey from an egg and meat farm to a vegetable farm, how they've grown and evolved with their Vermont community over the past 20 years, some of the logistics of partnering with local restaurants, and more.
Now available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and coming soon to Google Podcasts
Episode 6: Local Brew Connections
Foam Brewers has become one of Vermont's favorite breweries, since they opened their doors on Burlington's Lake Street in 2016. Since then, they've expanded to offer a full-service restaurant called Deep City, and they work with a variety of local farm partners to not only source food for the restaurant, but also source hops and grain for the beers brewed at foam.VFN's executive director Tara Pereira talks with Bob Grim of Foam Brewers, Zach Toensing of Deep City, and Kevin Broderick of Whitefield Hop Yard about the relationships their businesses have, and how they've built a sustainable cycle from the farm, to the glass, to the table.
Note: shortly after this episode was recorded, Deep City announced that they'll be closing indefinitely for normal service, due to a variety of challenges facing the restaurant and hospitality industry. Foam Brewers remains open and thriving, and they continue to have a strong relationship with Whitefield Hop Yard. We look forward to Deep City's reopening in the future!
Now available on Spotify, and coming soon to Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts
Funding for this project is provided by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets and the Working Land Enterprise Board.
The Vermont Fresh Network is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 1996 with the mission of advancing relationships among farmers, chefs, and consumers to grow markets and eat more locally grown food. We're dedicated to a flourishing local food system for the benefit of our environment, our communities, our health, and the overall strength of the rural economy. Learn more about VFN's mission, our programs, and our members at vermontfresh.net.
