Secure & Resilient Local Food Production
All told, current local food markets in New Hampshire meet 6% of consumer demand (1). According to the data shown under Farming, Cheshire County farms are small in number and size and farmers and farm workers are not making a living wage. However, in CCCD's Farm Needs Assessment (1), 50% of farmers were interested in expanding their markets. With a diversity of groups working to improve the situation of farmers and farming in Cheshire County, the outlook for the future is promising. The following lists of recommendations are based on a review of survey data, documents, and existing programs, as well as based on best practices and conversations with community stakeholders.
Farming
--High school agriculture vocational training
--Incorporate farming education into learning for all ages
Grow Your Own
Value-added Markets
Farming
- To address farmer's inability to provide insurance, institute collective insurance purchasing. An example of such a program is Farmer's Health Cooperative in Wisconsin. For more details see http://www.farmershealthcooperative.com/.
- Provide continuing educational opportunities for current farmers to expand knowledge and skills about markets, business planning, and specialized production methods. Half of farmers in CCCD 2011 study (1) expressed interest in expanding their markets.
- More farmers/More farms. The average age of farmers in Cheshire County is 53.6 (1). It is now critical to provide educational opportunities for the next generation of farmers.
--High school agriculture vocational training
--Incorporate farming education into learning for all ages
- Assist farmers interested in creating their own value-added products. Secure funding for on-site processing equipment, particularly around dairy products.
- Develop mobile meat slaughtering operations in Cheshire County. Susan and Rich Robinson of Sullivan, NH have already started on this work.
- Strengthen farmer to farmer communication, particularly with online farmer networks. According to CCCD's 2011 study, 44% participating farmers were aware of the existence of online farmer networks; 64% were interested in joining or were already a part of one (1).
- Use MFCC mapping to determine agricultural conservation actions. Work with organizations such as Monadnock Conservancy & Land for Good to create Agriculture Conservation Easements accordingly.
Grow Your Own
- Develop Garden Mentor program to spread gardening knowledge, skills, and infrastructure capacity, and build social ties. For an example of a similar program, see City Slicker Farm's Backyard Garden Program.
- Provide gardening educational resources for general public in places where they live, work, and play. Potential partners include UNH Cooperative Extension, Master Gardeners, Garden Mentors, Tracie's Community Farm, LLC., Community Garden Connections (CGC), C & S Wholesale Grocers' Master Gardener, Lisa Richards, and others.
- Develop more school gardens and curricular use. Make use of NH Farm to School and Windham County Farm to School resources. Hire a county-based school garden coordinator.
- Provide funding for the start-up of new school gardens. Expand MFCC's program.
- Expand CGC social service garden model that works to develop gardens at and with social service agencies and organizations working to serve under-served populations.
- Rejuvenate and/or initiate municipal participation in community garden development.
- Plant fruit and nut trees in neighborhoods, town and city parks.
Value-added Markets
- Expand kitchen incubator efforts throughout Cheshire County.
- Thinking strategically about food product gaps.
- Create value-added foods for food pantries.
Sources cited
1. Sullivan, S. with Cheshire County Conservation District. (2011) Cheshire County, New Hampshire, Farm Needs Assessment: Farm Labor and Infrastructure. Cheshire County Conservation District.
1. Sullivan, S. with Cheshire County Conservation District. (2011) Cheshire County, New Hampshire, Farm Needs Assessment: Farm Labor and Infrastructure. Cheshire County Conservation District.