Secure & Resilient Local Food
Distribution & Consumption
_Cheshire County is unique in that 8.8% of local farm sales are
direct-to-consumer; this is 20 times more than the national average (2, 3).
This could be the case for a variety of reasons: the fact that many of the
farms in the area are too small to individually sell to large markets
and that they can maximize their profits by selling directly to their
customers. This farmer-consumer connection could also be a testament to
the increasing value farmers are placing on interaction with customers.
As we move forward it is important for us to recognize a few things: 1) the value of interpersonal connections and of "putting a face on your food;" 2) if local food (this also includes regional production that has not been discussed on this website) is going to meet the food needs of the Cheshire County, the amount of food production in the area must increase; 3) if farmers are to expand to larger markets, we must think creatively and cooperatively about how producers get their food to consumers; and 4) we must uphold a commitment to local food access for all.
Expanding markets for local food
Be aware & Eat together
As we move forward it is important for us to recognize a few things: 1) the value of interpersonal connections and of "putting a face on your food;" 2) if local food (this also includes regional production that has not been discussed on this website) is going to meet the food needs of the Cheshire County, the amount of food production in the area must increase; 3) if farmers are to expand to larger markets, we must think creatively and cooperatively about how producers get their food to consumers; and 4) we must uphold a commitment to local food access for all.
Expanding markets for local food
- Continue with momentum on Farm-to-Institution efforts. Make use of nearby models (through Great Falls Food Hub) to learn from their successes. Increase farmer and institution participation through education and strengthening of infrastructure around these efforts.
- Increase the capacity and number of Friendly Meals programs, both mobile meals and dining programs, in Cheshire County. Encourage purchasing of local foods by the program.
- Increase local produce at Neighborhood and Village Stores. This can be achieved through developing farmer relations with these stores. Another way to encourage a local food infusion as well as to get neighborhood investment in this project would be to set up a system for selling produce from neighborhood gardeners in the stores. A valuable resource for corner stores in low-income communities is the Healthy Corner Store Network.
- Establishing "Neighborhood Market" programs in appropriate areas. These are CSA/Farmer's Market hybrids that focus on low-income consumers by delivering wholesale priced produce, which can be purchased with SNAP benefits (NH food stamps), close to where people live or work. These programs also provide education around the nutrition, storage, and preparation of fresh and seasonal produce. A Neighborhood Market program has been established in Brattleboro. To see their model visit Post Oil Solutions' website.
- Enable use of WIC coupons at Farmer's Markets
- Enable use of SNAP benefits at Farmer's Markets through an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) machine that reads benefit cards. Further the effort to enable participation of low-income consumers by instituting a Harvest Health Coupon Project (HHCP) at area Farmer's Markets. The idea behind this program is to offer costumers using SNAP benefits a $2 coupon for every $5 worth of Farmer's Market food products they purchase. Useful examples of these programs are found in Brattleboro, VT and Detriot, MI ("Double Up Food Bucks" program) (1).
- Develop more supplemental shares for low-income consumers as a part of CSA programs. One example of such a program is the Share Care Fund at Tracie's Community Farm, LLC. in Fitzwilliam, NH.
- Increase buying of local food by supermarkets. This may need to involve small aggregation pools of farmers selling to supermarkets to ensure an adequate quantity and diversity of products.
- Increase the number of collaborative CSAs (between multiple farms), also for ensuring greater diversity of product and security of market.
- Increase number of restaurants using local foods and the quantity of local foods on the menu. Monadnock Menus, a project of Monadnock Farm and Community Connection, has already begun this work.
- For food transport it would be beneficial for Cheshire County producers and distributors to begin investing in alternative transportation. For some this could be bio-fuel vehicles, for others bicycle transport, still others might eventually be able to invest in electric or hybrid buses.
Be aware & Eat together
- Increase public awareness of local farms and food through various marketing strategies.
- Increase public knowledge and skills on how to use, store, process local foods. Provide information and demos at farmer's markets and food pantries.
- More Community meals! Many of these already use donated local foods...continue and encourage that practice. Many of these are already open to the general public, even though they are targeted for low-income populations. Eat together--as whole communities!
Sources cited
1. Hesterman, O. (2011) Fair Food: Growing a Healthy, Sustainable Food System For All. Public Affairs. New York.
2. Meter, K. (2010) Great Falls Region (Vermont and New Hampshire) Local Farm & Food Economy.Crossroads Resource Center. Minneapolis, MN. Found at http://www.postoilsolutions.org/documents/Ken_Meters_Regional_Farm__Food_Economy_Study.pdf
3. US Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. (n.d.) Your Food Environment Atlas. Website can be found at http://ers.usda.gov/foodatlas/.
1. Hesterman, O. (2011) Fair Food: Growing a Healthy, Sustainable Food System For All. Public Affairs. New York.
2. Meter, K. (2010) Great Falls Region (Vermont and New Hampshire) Local Farm & Food Economy.Crossroads Resource Center. Minneapolis, MN. Found at http://www.postoilsolutions.org/documents/Ken_Meters_Regional_Farm__Food_Economy_Study.pdf
3. US Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. (n.d.) Your Food Environment Atlas. Website can be found at http://ers.usda.gov/foodatlas/.