From The Advancement Office

As much as I love summer, I adore autumn. Colorful, crisp, cool, changing- all words that come to mind. This entire year has felt especially convergent and full of challenges and opportunities. Ever mindful of balancing and meeting needs for the institution while being respectful of how Covid has created uncertainty for so many, the Advancement Office has developed synergies within our local food community and economy through the work of Northshire Grown: Direct and through network building and community action on behalf of those in our region who are less fortunate. Filling in some of those missing gaps for folks has been joyful, invigorating work. We have also been able to forge emergent partnerships with statewide environmental and community placemaking specialists and with regenerative agriculture based higher education leaders, both of whom value Merck Forest’s vital role and reach in the region.

I count myself as very lucky to live and work in Vermont, which has stayed remarkably safe, healthy and virusfree this year. Merck Forest has been an oasis of sorts. Throughout the pandemic, outdoor recreation has remained at the top of the list of preferred, safe social and physical activities, and while our programming has been limited, our visitor demand for walking, hiking, exploring and now camping and cabin dwelling has not! Thanks to your support, we are able to keep Merck Forest’s nearly 3,200 acres well maintained and its access free to all year-round.

With October comes the 4th quarter of MFFC’s financial year - a time when we focus on our Annual Giving program. Look for correspondence from us later this month. We are excited to share our accomplishments for 2020 ( there were many!) and our goals for 2021 (there are many!). We count on your enduring support and appreciate your partnership as we inspire curiosity, love and responsibility for natural and working lands. Though 2020 hasn’t felt like a celebratory one, we take great pride in honoring 70 years of continuous operations for Vermont’s first environmental focused non-profit, in the work we develop and offer here and in how we deliver iit.

I send my best,

Liz Ruffa, Director, Institutional Advancement

Wreath Making

While we will not be offering our wreath-making workshops this year, we will be offering a limited number of Merck-made wreaths for sale on a preorder basis. Be on the lookout for “Merck-Made Holidays” details from us soon!

Northshire Grown: Direct

Merck Forest has quietly led a powerful local food project, Northshire Grown: Direct since April, when Covid blanketed the region. Designed to help area farms and food businesses recoup lost revenues due to the pandemic (institutional and direct farm stand sales), a stellar and committed group of food system advocates and volunteers have amassed 40+ businesses and well over 400 customers. who have collectively recycled more than $125,000 into the local food economy via more than 1800 boxes/orders of bundled food items. The supply and demand collaboration has also created a “mutual aid” lever, as 400 of those boxes have been paid for through customer donations and distributed to community members in need of extra nourishment.

NG:D just held its 14th market - two more are scheduled in October and planning is under way for the Holidays and 2021. Merck Forest’s incubation of this project highlights its enduring commitment to productive working lands, a core value of the Vermont Farm and Forest Foundation (now Merck Forest and Farmland Center) when it was founded in 1950. No farms, no food!

Membership at MFFC has never mattered more!

Our members help keep the gate open, the trails clear and our animals cared for. Memberships at Merck Forest provide the essential “glue” that allows us to operate safely and effectively. Thank you for your support! Help us grow our membership base by sharing your enthusiasm for the institution with others. Ideas? Contact liz@merckforest.org