Food Connects and the Vision of New England Food Systems

When you gather with friends and family around food, what does that look like? Is there a diversity of dishes? Are there more fresh or whole foods than processed items? Where did the food come from—the grocery store down the street or a local farmer? These questions start you down the path to understanding more about food systems.

A food system, outwardly facing, is pretty simple—it’s the path foods take to get to our plates. But, at Food Connects, we understand it is much more than that. It is about the environment, health, equity and access, racial justice, sustainability and climate change, and so much more. And as we are continuing our work to transform the local food system, many people ask, “What does that really mean?” To answer this question, let’s look towards two organizations and their visions for food systems in our region and how our work aligns with these goals.

Image from USDA.

Let’s start small but mighty with the state of Vermont. Vermont Farm to Plate (VT F2P) recently published its 2021-2030 Vermont Agriculture & Food System Strategic Plan. In this plan it outlines three outcomes to achieve by 2030:

1. Increase sustainable economic development and create jobs in Vermont’s food and farm sector.

2. Improve soils, water, and resiliency of the working landscape in the face of climate change.

3. Improve access to healthy local food for all Vermonters.

Being a Vermont-based entrepreneurial non-profit and working with Vermont farmers, food producers, wholesale buyers, and schools working towards these outcomes are paramount to our organization. Our current work directly impacts the first and third outcomes. Our Food Hub works to expand wholesale markets for farmers and food producers, ensuring that Vermont food is on the shelves at local co-ops, on the plates at local restaurants, and feeding kids’ bellies at local schools. Providing logistical support, including sales and promotion of products and delivering the products to the wholesale customers to our neighboring farms, strengthens their ability to grow and thrive—and in turn, solidifies their place in our local food economy.

One of the specific focuses of the VT F2P strategic plan is on consumer demand. The plan recommends the launch of a Vermont Brand and Marketing Collaborative to improve marketing strategies—all the work to grow local farms and food businesses is futile unless there is demand for it. That’s where Vermont Way Foods (VWF) comes in. VWF grew out of years of collaboration between Food Connects, the Intervale Center, the Center for an Agricultural Economy, and Green Mountain Farm-to-School. VWF directly responds to the need to develop new markets for Vermont products. Vermont is a state known for producing high-quality farm and food products. As VWF grows, it will leverage Vermont’s unique position and align marketing efforts with new values-led consumer preferences (small-scale, transparency, integrity, and quality) to create and increase markets for Vermont foods.

All of this, in turn, ensures access to more local food across the state. As we distribute more and more local food throughout our community, it becomes easier for our neighbors to choose to eat locally and support farms and food producers in our region. Our Farm to School program continues to help schools access this local food through its work with food service directors, policy efforts to support Universal School meals, and the VT Local Purchasing Incentive promotion.

Broadening the scope outside of Vermont, there are region-wide efforts to enact change in our food system. The New England Food Vision held by Food Solutions New England (FSNE) aims to build the “capacity to produce at least 50% of our food by 2060 while supporting healthy food for all, sustainable farming and fishing, and thriving communities.” Their impending updated goal is to reach 30% by 2030. This work, again, is directly aligned with the Food Connects mission to create healthy families, thriving farms, and connected communities and is similarly reflected in the VT F2P Strategic Plan. FSNE holds four core values at the forefront of all food systems frameworks: the rights to food, healthy eating, sustainability, and community stability. As part of this transformation process for our regional food system to become more self-reliant, we must enact substantial change in food policies and embed these values at their core.

As Food Connects steps into 2022, we can ask ourselves, “How can Food Connects support these statewide and regional visions each day?” We commit to continuing the work and partnerships we have established, diligently working to find new wholesale customers for New England farmers and food producers and other food hubs that support their local food economies. We commit to advocating for food access and justice through our work with schools and statewide policies. And we commit to sharing opportunities with our neighbors on how they can be part of food systems conversations and change, inviting all individuals to participate in this work.

2021 Monadnock Region Food Access Analysis Report Published

2021 Monadnock Region Food Access Report:

A Comprehensive Gaps and Asset Analysis in Children's and Families' Food Security Programs in the Monadnock Region

The Monadnock Region Food Access Analysis (MRFAA) was conducted by SW Region Planning Commission during the spring of 2021 on behalf of the Monadnock Children’s Food Access Alliance (MCFAA), led by the Monadnock Farm and Community Coalition (MFCC). 

The MCFAA is a diverse network of partners committed to improving the overall health of children and families in the Monadnock Region through increasing access to affordable, healthy food. Partners include: farm service organizations, extension educators, food pantry managers, public health representatives, food policy experts, and educators.

"We knew prior to the COVID-19 pandemic that food security and access programs in our region were underused," says Roe-Ann Tasoulas, MCFAA coordinator. "The pandemic accelerated the need for a gap and asset analysis of all food access programs, and to connect directly with individuals and families experiencing food insecurity to better increase opportunities to access affordable, healthy food and participation in programs.

The County of Cheshire worked with the MCFAA to submit a grant proposal to the NH Children's Health Foundation to implement a food access analysis in Fall 2020. The grant was awarded and the SW Region Planning Commission was chosen to implement the analysis. The MRFAA is the resulting report.

Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to identify and analyze the prevalence of household food insecurity. Over 196 participants were interviewed or surveyed to gather relevant data. Food access points, programs, and services, and the connection between them were mapped, and food system models and best practices were included in the report.

Several findings include:

• Childhood food insecurity rates in Cheshire and Sullivan counties are higher than the state average

• Lower-income food insecure people who are not eligible for SNAP have difficulty buying food

• Lack of transportation, specifically, lack of a car, is the number two risk factor for food insecurity. The towns of Keene, Peterborough, Alstead, Sullivan, and Swanzey have the highest percentages of households without vehicles

“The food access analysis revealed that poverty is far and away the number one predictor of food insecurity for children and families" states Terry Johnson, SW Region Planning Commission. "Prior to the pandemic, 40% of food-insecure children living in poverty in Cheshire County didn’t qualify for federal food assistance because they didn’t meet the eligibility requirements".

The MCFAA will use report findings to develop a 2022-2023 Food Access Plan that addresses key findings and identified gaps in programs and services. "With both poverty and food insecurity rates increasing during the pandemic, creative solutions are needed more than ever," continues Johnson.

To receive a copy of the MRFAA report, email coordinator@mfccoalition.org

The public is invited to attend "2021 Monadnock Region Food Access Report Virtual Community Forum" on Tuesday, October 19, 2021, 5:30pm - 7:30pm. Participants will become familiar with the key findings from the MRFAA report, hear feedback from individuals experiencing food insecurity, and provide input on projects that best address gaps for 2022-2023 implementation.

To register for the Community Forum, go to: http://monfoodaccessforum.eventbrite.com. To register by phone, call (603)852-3198. Following the forum, a recording of the keynote speaker will be uploaded to: http://mfcommunitycoalition.org

Funding for the MRFAA report was provided by the New Hampshire Children's Health Foundation.

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The Monadnock Farm and Community Coalition is a coalition of 140 member organizations who come together regularly to build a sustainable local food system by cultivating community action and building collaboration to implement effective programs, projects, and policies.

Southwest Region Planning Commission works in partnership with the communities of the Southwest Region to promote sound decision-making for the conservation and effective management of natural, cultural and economic resources.

County of Cheshire covers 22 towns and one city in southwestern New Hampshire. We strive to be an innovative and progressive leader in providing cost effective county services required by statute.

NH Children's Health Foundation mission is to improve the health and wellness of New Hampshire’s population, with a focus on its most vulnerable children.

Keeping Our Families Fed

Farm to School Cafe and Food Connects Feed Families Throughout the Holiday Season

Families in the Windham Northeast Supervisory Union (WNESU) received three free food boxes over the holiday break thanks to the tireless efforts of the Farm to School Cafe staff and farmers throughout the region. The food boxes contained a week’s worth of bulk meal ingredients for breakfast and lunch to help stretch families’ grocery budgets and keep students nourished over the long break. The Farm to School Cafe reached out to Food Connects to fill those boxes as much as possible with high-quality foods from local producers, including fresh NH-made bread, VT cheese and produce, and fresh fruit. 

Thanks to numerous USDA waivers in response to COVID-19, universal free meals have been in effect nationwide since last March and schools have been operating under the Summer Food Service Program—which provides higher reimbursement rates per meal for schools. These two changes combined translate to easy to access meals for all students and a reliable revenue stream for school nutrition programs. The holiday food boxes extended that support through the break, all students qualified for this program—each family simply filled out a form for each student so the Farm to School Cafe team knew how much food to order.

“We were inspired by the Burlington School Food Project who blazed the trail on these meal kits,” says Harley Sterling, School Nutrition Director for the WNESU. “And grateful to the Vermont Agency of Education who has been incredibly supportive in developing this program.”

“Many students rely on school meal programs for both nutritious breakfasts and lunches each day during school,” says Conor Floyd, Food Connects Farm to School Program Manager. “When school is not in session, however, a gap in access to nutritious and filling food appears. Programs like the holiday food boxes allow all students in the supervisory union to have the same access to meals throughout school breaks, no matter their family’s income level.” 

With increased meal flexibility as a result of the USDA waivers mentioned above, school nutrition programs have piloted new programs, including sending bulk ingredients home with students over extended breaks. These pilots often involve quick turnaround times and last-minute requests. Food Connects’ short supply chain and strong relationships with its producers helped the Farm to School Cafe access source-identified products from VT, NH, and MA on short notice.

"We're just thrilled that these universal meals programs allowed us to give kids and families in our community a little boost, especially this time of year,” says Sterling. “Making sure every kid has access to the great food grown and made in our area has always been our goal, and Food Connects makes it easy by letting us know what products are available and bringing them right to our kitchens."  

With less than two weeks between the initial phone call from Sterling and the first delivery, the newly expanded Food Hub team sprang into action. The Food Connects Sales and Procurement Teams worked with Harley to brainstorm and source a variety of food products that: 

• families would eat but also inspire fun and new cooking ideas, 

• fell within the required price range, 

• were kid-friendly and easy for parents to cook, and

• were hyper-local—the farthest items traveled only 87 miles while 7 of the 10 farms that provided food are located within 25 miles of Bellows Falls Union High School.

Once the orders were placed, the Food Connects Operations Team activated their network of dedicated drivers and expanded delivery fleet to pick up and deliver these orders—all while navigating their regular order and sales cycle to customers and capping off a record-breaking year in sales with Food Connects’ largest pre-Christmas delivery weeks ever. Although the Food Hub was closed for regular sales during the week of Christmas, the Food Hub staff generously volunteered to pick up extra shifts to ensure the orders made it to Bellows Falls Union High School in time for the Holiday Meal box distribution. 

As the Farm to Cafe team kept families fed throughout the holiday season, they also bolstered the local food economy—buying food from 10 Food Connects farms and food producers: Basin Farm, Champlain Orchards, Dutton Berry Farm, Grafton Village Cheese, Green Mountain Orchards, Harlow Farm, Mi Tierra Tortillas, The Bread Shed, Valley Veg, and Yalla Vermont. Over $19,000 was spent at these local food businesses. “This is money that is going straight back into the community,” says McKenna Hayes, Food Connects Food Hub Co-Director, “being paid out to area producers and distribution staff, who in turn use those funds at other local businesses.”

So what did families actually receive? 2,100 pounds of potatoes, 852 quarts of yogurt, about 6,000 apples, 600 pints of cider, 180 bunches of kale, 1,100 loaves of bread, 600 bags of frozen blueberries, 1,416 pounds of carrots, 300 tubs of hummus, 400 blocks of cheese, and 300 tortilla packets.

Every box contained food as well as ideas for how to use it—providing students and families with educational tools to make easy, wholesome meals. “We sent out little educational activity sheets with simple recipes that anyone can do with just water and a microwave,” says Sterling. “From kale chips and cheese ("Mayan sandwich") quesadillas to baked potatoes and English muffin pizzas.”

“This is a great example of how our organization can collaboratively problem-solve to help our community,” says Hayes. “Harley relied on his partnership with our Farm to School and Food Hub teams and we leveraged our community-based networks and short supply chains to respond to the request quickly. It truly shows the successful ability to pivot school lunch services in the COVID-19 era.”

Monadnock Children’s Food Access Alliance wins grant to assemble a food access plan”

Keene, NH – New Hampshire Children’s Health Foundation awards the County of Cheshire a $20,000 grant to fiscal sponsor a project with Monadnock Farm and Community Coalition (MFCC) and Healthy Monadnock, who will form the Monadnock Children’s Food Access Alliance. The Alliance will regularly assemble during 2021 to work towards a long term goal to improve the overall health of children in the Monadnock region.

The Alliance’s key objective is to identify opportunities for children and families to access affordable healthy food and increase participation in programs. This will be accomplished by conducting a comprehensive analysis of assets and gaps in present children’s food security programs, coordinating existing services and programs to increase program efficiencies, convening stakeholders (e.g., focus groups, listening sessions) to examine data and information, co-designing a plan with community members to fill identified gaps in programs and services, and enabling community members to access existing programs. Success of this project will mean that children in the Monadnock region have excellent health and easy access to nutritious food, regardless of their economic or family status.

The intent of this project is to help leaders design effective programs. Presently, food security and access programs in the Monadnock region are underused and little data exists as to why that is or if vulnerable people know about resources and assistance available. Numerous anecdotes in the region from school professionals and medical providers reference families cutting back or going into debt to feed their kids. Yet programs like SNAP, Granite State Market Match, and EBT benefits are underutilized. The region's food access providers and public health officials will be better positioned to help these people if they had more information about the people who need services and their barriers to accessing those services.

MFCC is the ideal organization to lead efforts to closely examine the local food system because it works with about 140 members to cultivate community action, connect people to resources, and foster relationships that benefit local farmers and public health. According to Roe-Ann Tasoulas, MFCC director, “Three of the Coalition’s goals tie directly into this effort: increase food production and consumption in the region, and provide resources and encourage advocacy for an equitable food system. Our members are passionate about healthy food and making it available to all Monadnock residents.”

Healthy Monadnock and Cheshire Medical Center’s Center for Population Health will support the Coalition’s efforts and provide technical assistance, network connections, and use of the Healthy Monadnock brand. It provides education and advocacy, oversight for public health projects, and supports the implementation of the Community Health Improvement Plan. Cheshire County government will provide fiscal sponsorship, and will manage the contractual aspect of the grant award and its subcontracts.

“Being a part of bring this project to fruition is what our work is all about,” says Tricia Zahn, Center for Population Health and MFCC board member. “It is energizing to know so many people in the Monadnock Region are passionate about food access improvements and to have our project ideas validated by an external competitive funder is no small feat.”

Funding for this project was made possible by the New Hampshire Children’s Health Foundation through a competitive application program for reducing food insecurity in children and families by increasing access to affordable healthy food.

The Alliance seeks stakeholder participation at their meetings and other various stages of the planning project. To sign up or for more information, contact Roe-Ann Tasoulas, MFCC Director at coordinator@mfccoalition.org or 802.271.4191