Hello UVRC,

My name is April Duncan, and I'm the Operations Manager for Food 4 Farmers, a local nonprofit based in Burlington, Vermont. Every year the Food 4 Farmers relay team runs in the Vermont City Marathon in support of coffee farming communities. This year we are starting a new initiative by reaching out to running clubs with coffee-loving members to see if they would put together relay teams (or run solo) for Food 4 Farmers in the Vermont City Marathon in order to have a greater impact. Are you and your friends interested in running a relay to help support farmers? If so, please email me at april@food4farmers.org for further information, and thank you very much for your help!

Millions of rural small-scale farmers who depend on commodity crops like coffee, which does not deliver enough income to support their families, struggle to put food on their tables every year. Headquartered in Burlington, VT, Food 4 Farmers was founded in 2011 to combat the “thin months” of food insecurity in the coffeelands. Volatile market prices for coffee, the rising costs of farming sustainably, and the impacts of climate change are some of the major challenges they face. We believe that every family should have access to nutritious food every day. That’s why we partner with coffee farming families to build thriving local food hubs, diversify family income, and promote sustainable farming practices that strengthen biodiversity and ecosystem resiliency throughout Latin America.

Thank you for taking the time to read about Food 4 Farmers and our Vermont City Marathon initiative. We look forward to hearing from you!

Best Wishes,

April