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We're a network of Vermont Chefs, Farmers, Food Artisans, and Diners.

Partner Member

Network members understand that innovative partnerships between farmers, chefs, and consumers are an integral part of a strong food system in Vermont. Join VFN today and add your voice to our dedicated community of agricultural and culinary professionals. If you are a new member, we recommend first reviewing the qualifications below. Partner Membership requires meeting certain criteria to receive full benefits, while Supporting Membership is open to anyone. 

Membership Forms:

 

 Click on your membership type:

  • Culinary - Includes restaurants, food co-ops, caterers, institutions, bed & breakfasts, lodging with meals, food trucks, culinary education, commercial kitchens, food service, other eateries.
  • Farmer - Anyone producing primary ingredients, we have no minimum size. If the business you want to promote is a farm stay please use the culinary form (for our directory purposes, a farm stay is a form of B&B).
  • Food Producer - Specialty food makers, food processors using Vermont grown or raised ingredients. If your primary business is a farm, and you do light processing of some ingredients as a component of the farm, choose the "farmer" application.     
  • Distributors -Includes food hubs.  

If your business has several components, we categorize by the primary one - so a farm that occasionally hosts an on-farm dinner is a farm and not a restaurant, a farm that pools its product with neighbors to drop off at nearby restaurants is a farm and not a distributor, etc.  

If you prefer snail mail, please contact info@vermontfresh.net and we will provide you with a printable copy.

If you have any difficulty with these forms, please contact info@vermontfresh.net or call 802-434-2000. 

 

Qualifications for Partner Membership:

 

Farmers:

  1. One (1) VFN Restaurant or Distributor that you agree to sell to on a regular basis.*
  2. Located in Vermont or within 30 miles of Vermont.

*This criterion is meant to indicate that you are a farm with capacity to sell to restaurants, if that is true and you are actively seeking a VFN restaurant customer but haven't found one yet, let us know. If you are not yet at a point of selling to restaurants, then a Supporting Membership may be a better match.  

Food Producers (Specialty Food Makers, Food Processors):

  1. Four (4) VFN Farmers that you purchase from on a regular basis.
    Or
  2. Use primarily local ingredients ("primarily" means >50% of ingredients - excluding water - measured by weight, volume, or value; "local" ingredients are grown or raised in Vermont or within 30 miles of Vermont).

Culinary Members:

  1. Four (4) VFN Farmers or Food Producers that you purchase from regularly.
  2. Minimum of 15%* of annual food purchases are Vermont grown or raised food (or within 30 miles of Vermont).**
  3. Menu contains Vermont products that represent (3) of the (6) USDA Food Groups year-round.
  4. Participation in local food and farm events at least once during the year (workshops, hosting special dinners, meeting with farmers, etc.).

*Hospitals, institutions, and schools are required to meet a 10% threshold. 
**Businesses open less than a year report expenditures to date and resubmit at the end of their first year. 

Distributors: 

  1. Must have purchasing agreements with a least 4 VFN Partner Members who are in the farmer or producer / processor categories. 

If you will not meet these qualifications but would still like to be part of the Vermont Fresh Network and have access to professional development opportunities, consider a Supporting Membership. If you become a full Partner Member within a year, $50 will be applied towards your full member dues. We recommend this option for prospective members with businesses that have not yet opened.  

Term of Membership:


Memberships last one year. Members who choose a multi-year membership payment must still verify their information each year so that we know our directories are up to date and our purchasing information is accurate.     

What does VFN provide for your business?

Visit this page to see the most up to date Partner Member Benefits list. 

Thank you to Flavor Plate for donating their time and effort to the design and co-development of our website.