Greenbacks, bucks, clams, benjamins, pots of gold, plastic, c-notes, moolah, dough, wad, scratch, bankrolls, cash, stash...

Spring will come (eventually!) and green grass will grow for Farm to Ballet (F2B) to dance on. Rehearsals have begun for the 2019 season at six farms.
Ballet Vermont is the only classical ballet company in Vermont. And F2B, a project of Ballet Vermont, has perhaps the most unique social mission in the ballet world––promoting sustainable agriculture!
Let’s look at the other ways F2B is unique not only in Vermont but in the country.

• F2B presents its performances outdoors on the grass at farms.
  
• F2B has moderately priced tickets that make ballet more accessible to the general public in family-friendly, casual venues––neighborhood farms.
  
• F2B gives all interested adult ballet dancers the opportunity to perform with the company in accordance with their ability and experience.
  
• F2B has a positive body image policy. All body types are welcome, which allows the audience to see the possibility and beauty of diversity of body shapes in ballet.
  

During the past four seasons, 10,000 audience members have attended 31 F2B performances at 15 farms, and over $70,000 has been raised for agricultural projects.
And now the beautiful budget for this fifth season of F2B is coming together, and all fans of ballet have an opportunity to participate in it.
The public sees the beautiful costumes, brilliant choreography and dancing, and props, and hears live music played by a string ensemble of six or seven musicians, all in a beautiful rural setting. And smiles galore!
Now consider the behind-the-scenes costs for growing the company and its mission.

• New costumes for new dances (this year the barn cat, sheep, and strawberry plants), and the altering and reordering of old costumes for new dancers
  
• Transcription of the music for new dances
  
• Dancer performance stipends
  
• Musician performance stipends
  
• Small dancer perks such as Pilates classes- allows us to support safe and healthy bodies for all ages, gas cards for dancers living outside Chittenden County to create opportunities for dancers who live in more rural locations 
  
• Legal and accounting fees
  
• Insurance
  
• Marketing
  
• Office expenses and postage
  

This season a new method of participating in the F2B mission has been added. Drum roll please . . .
MONTHLY PLEDGES!
Yes. F2B is now set up to accept monthly pledges in amounts of your choice to be processed through PayPal, a credit card, or a bank account. (Just click on Monthly Pledges above.)
A vibrant monthly pledge program will enable F2B to not only meet the budget but to also provide a measure of financial security that is necessary to confidently make future plans to increase its commitment of service to Vermont.
The Monthly Pledge program will be in addition to the current sources of support for the F2B budgets.

• Tuition from camps for children
  
• Advertisements in the playbill
  
• Costume sponsorships
  
• One-half of the gate (ticket sales)
  
• One-time donations
  
• Grants
  
• T-shirt sales
  

And all of these forms of support are tax deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law because F2B functions through Green Mountain Performing Arts, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.
Armies march on their stomachs and dancers pirouette on––money!