Northeast Organic Farming Association Of Vermont

THE NORTHEAST ORGANIC FARMING ASSOCIATION OF VERMONT (NOFA-VT), IN PARTNERSHIP WITH VERMONT WAY FOODS (VWF) AND FOOD CONNECTS (FC), PROPOSES TO GROW AND DEVELOP MARKETS FOR VERMONTS ORGANIC PRODUCERS IN THREE WAYS. FIRST, BY EXPANDING ACCESS TO PROMISING IDENTIFIED MARKETS THROUGHOUT THE NORTHEAST BY DEVELOPING SALES CHANNELS TO LARGE RETAILERS AND OTHER WHOLESALE BUYERS WITH CONSUMER BASES THAT ARE VALIDATED BY MARKET RESEARCH TO VALUE AND SUPPORT THE QUALITIES INHERENT IN VERMONT ORGANIC FOOD. SECOND, BY DEVELOPING NEW DAIRY, MAPLE, AND OTHER VERMONT ORGANIC WHOLESALE PRODUCTS TO BE BRANDED AND MARKETED UNDER THE VWF BRAND AND DISTRIBUTED REGIONALLY BY FC. AND THIRD, BY INCREASING CONSUMER AWARENESS AND DEMAND FOR ORGANIC FOOD THROUGH TARGETED MARKETING AND PROMOTIONS IN VERMONT AND THROUGHOUT THE NORTHEAST. KEY OUTCOMES INCLUDE: NEW AND EXPANDED WHOLESALE MARKETS FOR VERMONT ORGANIC PRODUCERS, INCLUDING AN OVERALL INCREASE IN THE PERCENTAGE OF ORGANIC PRODUCTS SOLD THROUGH THE FOOD CONNECTS FOOD HUB FROM 25 TO 33 , AND OVER 3 MILLION IN SALES OF VWF ORGANIC PRODUCTS. ADDITIONALLY, THE PROJECT WILL RESULT IN INCREASED AWARENESS OF AND PREFERENCE FOR LOCALLY PRODUCED ORGANIC FOOD AMONG REGIONAL CONSUMERS. KEY INITIAL BENEFICIARIES OF THE PROJECT INCLUDE UP TO 3 ORGANIC DAIRY PRODUCERS, 1-2 ORGANIC DAIRY PROCESSORS, 4 ADDITIONAL FOOD HUBS (CERTIFIED ORGANIC HANDLERS), AND 4 ORGANIC MAPLE PRODUCERS. AS VWF SCALES ITS PRODUCTION AND INCREASES SALES CAPACITY, WE EXPECT THESE INITIAL PRODUCERS TO SEE INCREASED SALES TO VWF, AND ULTIMATELY, FOR VWF TO ONBOARD ADDITIONAL PRODUCERS AND PROCESSORS. AS OF 2023, FC CURRENTLY SELLS PRODUCTS FROM 15 ORGANIC PRODUCERS, WITH A GOAL TO INCREASE TO AT LEAST 20 DURING THE PROJECT PERIOD. THE CORE PROJECT TEAM WILL CONSIST OF KEY STAFF FROM NOFA-VT, FC, AND VWF. NOFA-VT WILL LEAD OVERALL PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND THE CONSUMER EDUCATION AND MARKETING ACTIVITIES. FC WILL LEAD AND OVERSEE ORGANIC SUPPLY CHAIN DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES, AND CONTRIBUTE TO ORGANIC PRODUCT PROCUREMENT AND SALES ACTIVITIES. VWF WILL LEAD AND OVERSEE ITS PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES, AND CONTRIBUTE TO SALES AND MARKETING ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE PROJECT. THE CORE PROJECT TEAM WILL LEVERAGE SUPPORT FROM ADDITIONAL COLLABORATORS INCLUDING STRATEGIC MARKETING CONSULTANT(S) TO DEEPEN AND ALIGN SHARED CONSUMER MARKETING STRATEGY, A GRAPHIC DESIGNER ARTIST TO TO SUPPORT ASSET CREATION FOR CONSUMER MARKETING ACTIVITIES, AND MIGRANT JUSTICE, TO SUPPORT THE COORDINATION OF MILK WITH DIGNITY CERTIFICATION OF VWF DAIRY PRODUCTS WHICH WILL ENGENDER CONSUMER TRUST IN THE VALUES-ALIGNED BRAND.

THE NORTHEAST ORGANIC FARMING ASSOCIATION OF VERMONT WILL ENHANCE A STATEWIDE ONLINE PRODUCER DIRECTORY. THIS PROJECT WILL INCREASE FARMERS MARKET VIABILITY BY PROVIDING TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR MARKET LEADERS. CUSTOMIZED MARKETING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES WILL STRENGTHEN DIRECT PRODUCERTOCONSUMER MARKETING BENEFITTING LOCAL PRODUCERS.

SUPPORTING DIRECT MARKETS AS THE BACKBONE OF VERMONT'S FOODYSTEM

DIRECT MARKETS 30 MARKET ANALYSIS AND

CN FARM TO SCHOOL SUPPLEMENTAL

AS OF 2019, OUR ESTIMATED POPULATION IS 624,263 WITH OUR LARGEST CITY WITH 42,000. THUS, WE ARE A VERY RURAL STATE WITH SCHOOLS VERY SPREAD OUT.DESPITE THE RECENT DOWNTURN OF DAIRY FARMING IN THE STATE, AGRICULTURE IS STILL VERY CENTRAL TO THE WAY OF LIFE AND THE ECONOMY. IN FACT, THE NUMBER OF SMALLER DIVERSIFIED FARMS AND FOOD PRODUCTION COMPANIES IS GROWING. STILL, SIMILAR TO CHILDREN IN URBAN SETTINGS, VT CHILDREN, EVEN IN THE MOST RURAL PARTS OF OUR STATE, ARE DISCONNECTED FROM OUR LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM. ONE IN FOUR VT TEENS ARE OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE, WHICH LEADS TO SERIOUS HEALTH ISSUES LATER IN LIFE.FARM TO SCHOOL (FTS) ENRICHES THE CONNECTIONS COMMUNITIES HAVE WITH FRESH, HEALTHY FOOD AND LOCAL FOOD PRODUCERS BY CHANGING FOOD PURCHASING AND EDUCATION PRACTICES AT SCHOOLS. IT IS PLACE-BASED WORK THAT ENCOMPASSES A WIDE VARIETY OF ACTIVITIES, FROM CONNECTING CHILDREN WITH FARMS, TO SCHOOL GARDENS TO LOCAL FOOD PROCUREMENT, AND ENGAGES DIVERSE AUDIENCES RANGING FROM STUDENTS TO BUSINESSES ALONG THE SUPPLY CHAIN.VERMONT IS AN EARLY LEADER IN FTS AND HAS BEEN SUPPORTING SCHOOLS ACROSS THE STATE FOR NEARLY TWENTY YEARS TO ENGAGE IN ACTIVITIES RELATED TO AGRICULTURE, FOOD, HEALTH, AND NUTRITION.WHILE MANY VERMONT SCHOOLS ENGAGE IN SOME LEVEL OF FTS ACTIVITY, MOST SCHOOLS - PARTICULARLY IN RURAL AND ISOLATED PARTS OF THE STATE - STRUGGLE TO SUSTAIN AND EXPAND EFFORTS INTO STABLE, FULLY REALIZED FTS AND NUTRITION EDUCATION PROGRAMS. SCHOOL DISTRICTS OVERSEEING EDUCATION IN RURAL REGIONS FACE MANY CHALLENGES: SCHOOLS ARE OFTEN SMALL AND GEOGRAPHY DISPERSED MAKING ECONOMIES OF SCALE DIFFICULT, STAFF RESOURCES ARE LIMITED, AND THERE IS A GENERAL LACK OF FUNDING FOR ONGOING TRAINING FOR KEY PERSONNEL.THIS TWO-YEAR PROJECT OFFERS A RURAL, DISTRICT-LEVEL APPROACH TO ENGAGING LOCAL AGRICULTURE, COMMUNITY RESOURCES, INTEGRATING LOCAL AND WHOLE FOODS INTO SCHOOL MEAL PROGRAMS, AND SCALING UP FTS IN UNDERSERVED DISTRICTS THAT FACE NUMEROUS CHALLENGES TO RECENT CONSOLIDATION OF INDEPENDENTLY OPERATED SCHOOLS. STATEWIDE PARTNERS SHELBURNE FARMS, NORTHEAST ORGANIC FARMING ASSOCIATION OF VERMONT (NOFA-VT), AND HUNGER FREE VERMONT (HFVT) WILL BUILD THE CAPACITY OF THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS (GREEN MOUNTAIN FARM TO SCHOOL, VITAL COMMUNITIES) TO SUCCESSFULLY DELIVER FTS PROGRAMMING DIRECTLY TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS' STAFF. THIS CONSTELLATION OF EXPERIENCED STATEWIDE AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS WILL PROVIDE WRAP-AROUND TRAINING AND TARGETED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN TWO SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO DEVELOP BEST PRACTICES FOR CREATING SUSTAINED CHANGE. FOCUSING AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL, PARTNERS AND SCHOOLS WILL ADDRESS ALL ASPECTS OF WHAT IT TAKES TO BUILD SUCCESSFUL AND PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL MEAL PROGRAMS, AGRICULTURAL CONNECTIONS WITH EFFECTIVE FTS PROGRAMMING. THE PARTNERS WILL WORK WITH THE DISTRICTS TO FOSTER HIGHER LEVELS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND ENGAGE CHILDREN IN EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING ABOUT AGRICULTURE, GARDENING, NUTRITION, COOKING, AND WHERE FOOD COMES FROM. IN OUR TWENTY YEARS OF SUPPORTING SCHOOLS WITH FTS, WE HAVE SEEN FIRST-HAND THE POWER THAT EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING HAS ON TRANSFORMING STUDENT ENGAGEMENT, IN PARTICULAR WHEN THEY GET TO MEET DIRECTLY WITH FARMERS.THE LESSONS LEARNED THROUGH THE GRANT WILL BE SHARED NATIONALLY WITH PRACTITIONERS LOOKING TO SCALE UP FTS IN THEIR STATES.

RISK MANAGEMENT EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM

MARKET FOR ALL

GROWING DEMAND AND STRENGTHENING VERMONTS DIRECT TO CONSUMER MARKETS

FARM TO SCHOOL GRANT PROGRAM

SUSTAINING LOCAL FOOD ACCESS FOR LIMITED-INCOME VERMONTERS THROUGH NEW AND EXISTING EBT AT FARMERS' MARKET PROJECTS

RURAL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE GRANTS - EZ/EC