The Raw Packing Pilot is the brainchild of Theresa Snow and Salvation Farms. Together with the Vermont Department of Corrections (DOC) Salvation Farms has begun a pilot project at the State Correctional Facility in Windsor, VT. This model, as part of Salvation Farm’s Vermont Commodities Program is focused on ensuring that all fresh surplus food captured can make it to individuals who can benefit from it.

In November, 2012, Potatoes from Tuberville’s CSA project managed by Bob & Barb Chappelle were the first product to enter the system in Windsor. Over the holiday season, over 30,000 pounds of Tuberville product made its way into the system to be cleaned, sorted bagged and distributed to shelves in Southern Vermont by the VT Food Bank.

In a brief moment of notoriety for us all, the Governor of Vermont, Peter Shumlin can be seen in the video below by Jack Thurston of NECN, visiting the site and weighing a bag of the finished product.

By the end of the first winter, Tuberville had been able to contribute over 47,000 pounds to the system. As time goes by and more is learned from the experiment, Salvation Farms will investigate broadening the selection of produce that they can handle in Windsor. It is our hope that Tuberville can remain a part of this project for a long time to come.