#RootedinVermont Takes OffVermonters were farming, gardening, fishing, and hunting long before there were craft

beers and gourmet burgers. Consumer demand research conducted by the Vermont Farm to Plate Network shows that Vermonters would like to see the local food movement more connected to Vermont traditions and communities.

Rooted In Vermont, a new social media initiative organized by the Vermont Farm to Plate Network, is celebrating everyone’s unique connections with local food: from growing or raising food, to buying it from the neighborhood farm stand or market; from hunting and fishing to dining at a restaurant in town; from enjoying Vermont products in the great outdoors to cooking with friends and family at home.

Farm to Plate researchers interviewed staff at 73 independent stores

and conducted 6 in-store local food audits from 2014 to 2015 to learn what local products retailers are selling (dairy, baked goods, and produce), and what they want to be selling more of (produce, meat).

In 2016, Annie Harlow began working with Mark Mulcahey, a national expert on natural food store retailing, to create a series of retail videos and resources that will be helpful

to independent grocery store owners, no matter their size or location. The Take 5 Retail Training series includes 14 episodes that will cover topics such as Building Relationships with Local Food Producers, Sourcing Direct from Local Producers, Display Tips & Tricks, In-store Promotions, Signage, Sampling, and more. Each episode includes a short video (5-7 minutes in length), and relevant tip sheets and checklists that support long-term usage of the information and materials.

In 2017, in addition to outreach and promotion of the Take 5 series, Annie

Harlow will be conducting a series of in-store trainings designed to help independent grocers build a solid local food promotion program in their store.

New Resource for Vermont Grocery Stores

Annie Harlow shares display tips at the Willey’s Store in Greensboro.

Semi-parched, 57°VTFARMTOPLATE.COMOctober 20, 2016

FOLLOW, LIKE, and POST on the #RootedinVermont social media channels: www.Facebook.com/RootedinVermont www.Twitter.com/RootedinVermont www.Instagram.com/RootedinVermont

Rooted in Vermont has thousands of Vermont fans on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Farmland AccessIn 2014, the Farmland Access Task Force received funding to examine

farmland investor models offered in the Northeast by values-based investment companies. The findings of the project are now available in the report “Farmland Investment Models: Innovative Land Access in New England.” The project team, led by Land For Good and UVM Extension, conducted extensive interviews of five companies engaged in “values based” farmland investing about the structural, legal, and financial aspects of their arrangements with farmers.

These interviews were informed by a focus group of 10 farmers from throughout Vermont. The farmer focus group participated in developing the questions for the investment companies and also met with representatives of three of the

The report concludes that socially motivated investors can contribute to the sustainability of farmers and their communities.

Farmland Investment Models Show Promise

Farmland Investment Models: Innovative Land Access in New England

companies to engage in a dialog about the efficacy of their models. Further research was also conducted on the legal and financial aspects of the arrangements between the farmers and the investors.

The report is unique in reflecting feedback and dialogue between farm seekers and representatives from investment companies. Though investment companies have made information about their models readily available, candid questions and feedback from farmers on the feasibility of these models in the Northeast has been lacking. In particular, it has been unclear how acceptable specific models would be to Northeast farmers, what concerns they might have, and under what circumstances each model might work for certain farmers. This project is the first of its kind to bring these stakeholders together

to build mutual understanding of their respective needs, and to jointly identify ways to strengthen these models.

The Vermont Land Trust is enjoying another successful year of farm

conservation, conserving 19 farm parcels and 3,286 acres of farmland as of October 11, 2016. The portfolio of farms conserved to date has been impressive, representing the diversity of farming that Vermont’s working landscape has to offer. VLT helped Cheryl and Marc Cesario of Meeting Place Pastures purchase 90 acres of land in Cornwall to expand their grass fed beef business.

In Brownington, through VLT’s Farmland Access Program, Adam and Heather Moulton were able to buy a 134 acre certified organic farm.

The Moulton’s had been leasing land in the Northeast Kingdom for years, and now have a permanent home for their operation and 60 cow herd. Two other family dairies—a small organic farm, and a large innovative conventional operation—also worked with VLT to conserve their farmland.

In Newport, Marc and Tiffany Marquis were able to purchase a 124-acre hayfield by selling the development rights to VLT. Several miles northwest of Marc and Tiffany, Reg and Mike Chaput of Chaput Family Farms bought and conserved a 208 acre parcel in Troy. The two projects were supported by grant support from the Vermont

Housing & Conservation Board and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service through NRCS’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program. Elsewhere in the working landscape, VLT—in partnership with The Nature Conservancy—sold and conserved 2,080 acres of forestland in Bakersfield to Barnon Family Maple Orchards owners Tome and Cecile Branon. The Branon’s have a thriving maple business, and intend to expand their operation onto the Bakersfield parcel.

Vermont Land Trust Helps Conserve 19 Farms and 3,286 of Farmland

The new hub, located in Winooski, pairs post-harvest handling experience with job training, including transferable industry-recognized certifications, food systems awareness, and general job-readiness skills.

The program will run in 16-week cycles, training eight to 10 workers at a time. Workers, who will receive a stipend, may be refugees, formerly incarcerated people, youth in transition and others. An estimated 100,000 pounds of food will be distributed in the first four-month work cycle.

Universal Recycling Gets FreshThe Vermont Agency of Natural Resources and the Vermont Foodbank reported a 40% increase in food donations in 2016,

topping the 25-30% increase seen in 2015. The increase in food donations over the past two years represents a unique positive synergy between Agency of Natural Resources efforts to implement the Universal Recycling law and food rescue organizations efforts to get more fresh, healthy, food onto the plates of Vermonters in need.

The Vermont Foodbank started its Fresh Rescue Program in 2014 when it faced challenges managing growing amounts and types of donated food. Hannaford Supermarkets, for example, had perishable food to donate that was difficult for the Foodbank to retrieve because of its volume, location, and the frequency of pick-ups needed. At the same

time, Vermont’s Universal Recycling law was beginning to take effect for large grocery stores, requiring these stores to stop landfilling surplus food. The Fresh Rescue Program offers large grocery stores a convenient cost-effective option by creating a direct-to-agency model whereby trained and qualified Foodbank partner agencies can directly pick up surplus nutritious foods from stores.

The Fresh Rescue Program has had numerous positive impacts. The Salvation Army of Greater Burlington Area reported reducing their food cost per meal to under $0.07, down from $1.47 two years ago, spending less than $500 a month on food and serving around 40,000 meals in 2016. Northwest Family Foods in Franklin and Grand Isle Counties reported a 55% increase in food shelf visits after piloting the Fresh Food Rescue Program in part because they are now able to offer better fresh food more reliably. Participating agencies have also reported an improvement in the overall quality of the food they can

Food Access

Vermont Commodity Program crew member bags potatoes gleaned from Barber Farm in Jericho at Salvation Farms’ facility in Winooski.

In 2016, Salvation Farms released a study that estimated 14.3 million pounds of produce is lost on Vermont farms every year. That’s equal to roughly 7,000 pickup

trucks—a 26-mile bumper-to-bumper stretch. To help address this opportunity, Salvation Farms launched the Vermont Commodity Program–a food hub for Vermont surplus crops operated through a workforce development program.

offer through the program, allowing them to offer a more enticing menu of options to their clients. Today, there are now more than forty Fresh Rescue partnerships, rescuing more than a million pounds of fresh food.

SALVATION FARMS: TRAINING WORKERS, RESCUING FOOD

Did you know?Food insecurity in Vermont has decreased for the first time since the height of the Great Recession. According to the USDA, that means an average of 5,500 fewer households were food insecure from 2013 to 2015 compared to 2007 to 2009.

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Food System Continues to Show Solid Job Growth After Great Recession

Food System Viability

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Job growth in Vermont’s food system—which includes jobs at restaurants, stores,

food processing and manufacturing facilities, farm support services, aggregation and distribution services, and jobs on the farm—continues to outperform many other sectors of Vermont’s economy. The number of food system jobs increased 10.5% from 2009 to 2015—6,073 jobs.

The largest employment sector of Vermont’s economy—education and health services—increased 6.6% (4,128 jobs), while professional and business services increased 17.2% (6,035 jobs). The number of food manufacturing jobs increased 47% (2,182 jobs) and growth in food manufacturing jobs came during an overall decrease in the number of manufacturing jobs in Vermont.

Many food system job categories have been characterized by low wages. It is important to note that wages have been relatively stagnant throughout the U.S. economy for decades. For the first time since the Great Recession, many food system job categories, including retail jobs, saw wage increases from 2014 to 2015.

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The Energy Cross-Cutting Team published a new section of the Farm to Plate Strategic

Plan: Food System Energy Issues. The intersection of renewable energy systems

and local food systems is fertile ground for developing sustainable solutions to pressing problems. Many food system businesses already implement energy saving and renewable energy producing technologies. This section of the plan provides a foundation for

understanding food system energy issues and identifies opportunities and strategies to help food system businesses reduce their reliance on nonrenewable energy and increase energy efficiency and the production of renewable energy.

FOOD SYSTEM ENERGY ISSUES

FOOD SYSTEM VIABILITY

The Farmland Access and Stewardship and Production &

Processing Working Groups hosted a meeting to focus on farm transition and succession. Cris Coffin of Land for Good presented results from a recent study of New England farmers looking at the characteristics of New England’s farm population at both ends of the spectrum—those at or beyond retirement age, and those young or new to farming.

The results of the study reveal that in Vermont 91% of farmers over the age of 65 do not have an operator under the age of 45 working with them. These senior farmers manage nearly 30% of farms in Vermont, while the subset of seniors farming without young farm operators own a combined $973 million in farmland and buildings and manage 297,813 acres of land in farms.

The research revealed that 58% of beginning farmers in Vermont—farmers with less than 10 years of experience farming as a principal operator—are 45 or older. There is also a “commodity disconnect” between the types of food grown and produced by young and senior farmers. Significantly more young farmers grow vegetables, while there are many more senior farmers growing hay.

The two groups discussed the implications of the research and determined next steps should include:

» Increased incorporation of succession planning and retirement planning into existing conferences and workshops. » Professional development to raise the knowledge level of technical service providers around issues of farmer retirement, viability, and succession planning.

» Investigation into farm apprenticeship and internship structures to determine what has been effective.

IN FOCUS: SUCCESSION PLANNING

Working Lands Investments Pay Off

The Working Lands Enterprise Initiative granted over $2.4 million to food

system organizations from 2013 to 2016. The initiative has leveraged over $5 million in matching and outside funds. Awards to food system organizations equaled $703,542 in 2013; $923,559 in 2014; $538,173 in 2015; and $312,070 in 2016. The bulk of the grants have gone toward technical assistance, food production, and food processing efforts. Food system organizations in Washington, Chittenden, and Addison counties received the bulk of the grants.

FOOD PRODUCTION $648,052

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE $902,789

FOOD PROCESSING $556,623

2013-2016 TOTAL = $2,457, 344

DISTRIBUTION $93,369

WORKFORCE DEV. $93,361

RETAIL $62,000

NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, FARM INPUTS, LAND ACCESS, RENEWABLE ENERGY

$101,150

The Vermont Food Investors Network (VFIN), a project of Slow Money

Vermont, creates opportunities for individuals, businesses, and investors to network and invest money to strengthen Vermont’s food system. VFIN hosts in-person networking events, like the Vermont Entrepreneur Showcase.

Milk Money and VSECU have created a new website that facilitates connections between entrepreneurs and investors. Any Vermonter (18 or older) is eligible to invest.

INVESTMENT CONNECTIONS

Joe Bossen (Vermont Bean Crafters) makes his pitch at the Slow Money Regional Gathering.

The Education and Workforce Development Working Group visited

Green Mountain Technology and Career Center’s Robtoy Farm in April, just as the Center was beginning to launch a new Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems summer learning program at the 40-acre farm in Jeffersonville.

It’s a great example of how career and technical education is becoming more interdisciplinary and providing flexible pathways toward a variety of food system careers. Through a lease from the Vermont Land Trust, GMTCC operates the farm where students obtain hands-on experience as well as classroom theory and opportunities for college credit. Students learn about soil science, animal care, horticulture,

organics, dairy, land management, product making and marketing, entrepreneurship, building, HVAC, farm technology, alternative energies for agriculture, and more. It’s different from existing programs

Harvesting at Robtoy Farm, summer 2016.

EducationHands-on Learning at Robtoy Farm

The Labor Cross-Cutting Team inventoried human resource and labor

management tools and trainings available to food system businesses. The literature on this topic demonstrates a positive correlation between the possession of HR management skills and profit returns on both vegetable and dairy farms. The research identified 40 different ongoing HR training programs offered by 30 different organizations. Common HR topics include: effectively managing and utilizing employees; appraising performance and providing compensation; and, ensuring compliance with associated government regulations. The report suggests that future training programs should be shorter in duration to allow more people to participate and should also be offered outside of Chittenden County.

HR TOOLS ARE AVAILABLEPathways to Success

To encourage more young people to consider food systems careers, the

Career Pathways Task Force worked with teachers and students at Hannaford Career and Technical Center in Middlebury and Montpelier High School to develop food system career profiles that align with the Agency of Education’s Proficiency Based Graduation Requirements. More than 20 students interviewed farmers, chefs, entrepreneurs, and other food system professionals and compiled their results in a question and answer format. The profiles highlight key skills that are useful for specific career paths but also show that the “school of life” and following your passion are equally important in achieving your dreams.

in that the completion of a full SA&FS program includes 6 weeks of full school days in the summer and a full school year of morning-only programming.

Anna Jo Smith, herdswoman at Rail View Farm, is featured in a profile prepared by student Maria Welch. The profiles are being published in November and will be sent to schools and guidance counselors throughout Vermont.

Farm to Institution New England (FINE) released a report, “Getting it There: The Role of New England Food Distributors

in Providing Local Food to Institutions,” to help food system stakeholders understand the impact of institutional markets on New England’s food system.

The report, surveyed 56 distributors, including 8 respondents from Vermont. The report estimates that distributors made $59 million in local product sales to institutions, and about

90% of respondents believe sales of local food products to institutions will increase.

This research found that as total sales increase for a distributor, the percent of local sales decrease. Respondents with less than $1 million in gross sales reported that their local product sales accounted for nearly all (97%) of their gross sales, while for respondents with gross sales greater than $10 million, local product sales accounted for 19% of gross sales.

The two biggest obstacles forrespondents in selling and procuring local products are the lack of

Vermont Shines in Farm to School Census

TRENDS IN FARM TO INSTITUTION FOOD DISTRIBUTION

BY THE NUMBERS:

20%

#1 DEFENDING CHAMPS:Sterling College in Craftsbury was rated #1 in the nation for the second year in a row for having the healthiest, fairest, and most sustainable college food system in the country by the Real Food Challenge.

Percent of Sterling College’s food grown on campus.

Institutional Purchasing

19% Percent of food offered by the University of Vermont that met Real Food Challenge criteria.

75% Percentage of food offered by Sterling College that met Real Food Challenge criteria. The next-highest ranked school was at 66%.

$2.7 $1.6 million in local food purchases at the University of Vermont Medical Center generated an additional $1.1 million in economic activity.

million

Recently released Farm to School Census data ranks Vermont 2nd in the nation—up from 7th in 2011-2012—in farm to school engagement. With 78% of Vermont districts reporting, Vermont schools spent more than $1.5 million in local food in the 2013-2014 school year. That’s equal to about 17% of food spending on local food products.

100% Percent of potatoes purchased by St. Michael’s College that were local this year.

Farm to College Research The Farm to Institution Task Force has begun a 3-year Farm to College Procurement project to develop best practices and recommendations. Dr. David Conner (UVM) conducted initial research with 13 food service operations at Vermont colleges.

Key results include:

» Vermont higher education food services are sourcing between 14-40% local foods (self-reported).

Successful practices include: » Having all of a certain item always be local (e.g., apples, tofu, yogurt).

» Sharing menus with distributors’ sales representatives and brain- storming ideas for incorporating more local options.

» Using distributors’ specials to meet needed price points. Challenges include:

» Getting consistent quality and quantities of local products.

More than 90% of responding school districts purchased local fruits and vegetables. Local eggs and herbs were also commonly purchased. Surprisingly, only 47% of school districts bought local milk.

Vermont has at least 85 gardens at schools, and a majority of respondents serve food from their gardens.

consistent, year-round supply of local products and the high price point of local products for their customers.

Strategic CoordinationThanks Very Much to Farm to Plate Sponsors!

Tournament

rematch for the ages Ping Pong

10-20-16

Vermont Smoke and Cure Hunger Mountain Co-op Organic Valley

Gardener’s Supply Company Fresh Tracks Capital Grow Compost of Vermont Merritt Merritt Moulton Bob-White Systems Pete’s Greens Harlow Farm Vermont Community Loan Fund

Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & MarketsFront Porch Forum

Vermont Community Foundation

Local BanquetBlack River ProduceSodexo

Skillet Design & Marketing Green Mountain College

Yankee Farm Credit Intervale Center Cellars at Jasper Hill

Vermont Agricultural Credit Corporation NOFA Vermont Shelburne Farms Commonwealth Dairy (Green Mountain Creamery) City Market Butternut Mountain Farm Clean Yield Asset Management Lamoille Economic Development Corporation Chelsea Green Publishing Vermont Law School Center for Agriculture and Food Systems UVM Food Systems Vermont Land Trust Cabot

It takes a network to strengthen our food system. We are so grateful for the

financial support of the following organizations: