Vermont's Farm to Plate food system plan (2011-2020) is being implemented statewide by the 350+ member organizations of the Farm to Plate Network to increase economic development and jobs in the farm and food sector and improve access to healthy local food for all Vermonters.

One of the strategic priorities being addressed over the next several years is to:

Meet Food System Employment Needs in 
Positive Work Environments
 
As the farm and food economy grows, more jobs are created which creates workforce opportunities and challenges for both employees and employers. The Education & Workforce Development Working Group is coordinating activities to help prepare and educate students to meet the growing workforce needs of food system employers. The working group is also addressing how farm and food businesses can improve their human resources management so that workers have better working conditions and wages , while businesses have a competitive advantage to recruit the workers they need.
  
Career Profiles and Pathways

To encourage more young people to consider food systems careers, more than 20 students at Hannaford Career and Technical Center in Middlebury and Montpelier High School developed food system career profiles of professionals including farmers, chefs, entrepreneurs, food manufacturers, and other professionals. The profiles highlight key technical skills that are useful for specific food system career paths, but also show that passion, dedication, hard work and strong mentors are equally important in achieving career success. The first 12 Career Profiles and Pathways can be viewed here.

The Career Image and Pathways Task Force is completing development of curriculum and implementation resources to be included with the Career Profiles and Pathways packet, which will be distributed to teachers and guidance counselors across the state in time for the new school year. The task force will also be working with educators in other parts of the state to continue to develop profiles that will lead to a library of Career Profiles and Pathways to promote and bring awareness to food system careers throughout Vermont.

Educators interested in receiving Career Profiles and Pathways materials or working with students to create new profiles are invited to contact the new Farm to Plate Network Manager, Sarah Danly at sarah@vsjf.org or 802-828-3745.
 
Workforce-Education-Business (WEB) Partnerships 

The Business-Education Partnerships Task Force is building collaboration and working relationships among workforce support organizations, educators, and businesses to help support the labor needs of the food system industry by strengthening and developing education pathways for teens and those in the undeveloped/underemployed workforce mainly in the ages of 18-24. WEB partnerships currently exist in Washington, Lamoille, and Windham counties, with more planning to be developed over the next year.

For more information or to get involved, contact Crystal Maderia, kismetkitchen@yahoo.com or John Mandeville, john@lamoilleeconomy.org.  

The work being done under the WEB partnerships and Career Profiles and Pathways project were both informed by the 2013 Farm to Plate study Charting a Path: Food System Workforce Needs Assessment . The report remains a relevant resource for those involved in or looking to understand the education and workforce development challenges and opportunities facing Vermont's food system.

Human Resources

Human Resources Training Programs for Food System Businesses is a completed inventory and evaluation of human resource and labor management trainings available to food system businesses in an effort to improve overall working conditions. While there are 30 different organizations in the state that offer some type of HR training or resources, there are some challenges: many of the programs are only available in Chittenden County, some programs are too time consuming for businesses to participate in, and several programs have to hire trainers from out of state. 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, so it's essential that businesses have better access to HR and labor management training.

The inventory was completed by the Labor Cross-cutting Team, which has since merged into the Education & Workforce Development Working Group where efforts to address this issue will continue. 
  
Farm to Plate Newsfeed



Farm & Food Workshops + Industry Events

June 10-11, Essex Jct:  Mother Earth News Fair
June 10-11, Hinesburg:  Champlain Valley Sweet Potato Plant Sale
June 12-16, Craftsbury:  Ecological Orcharding
June 19-23, Craftsbury:  Holistic Livestock Husbandry
June 19-23, Craftsbury:  Ethical Slaughter and Butchery
June 21-23, Randolph:  Integrated Pest Management
June 24-25, Randolph:  Basic Welding
June 26-30, Craftsbury:  Grazing and Soil Building

Food System Gigs

Northeast Kingdom Tasting Center,  Tasting Center Director
Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund,  Rooted in Vermont Project Manager
Chittenden Solid Waste District,  Maintenance Operator/Roll-Off Truck Driver
Bob-White Systems,  Sales Manager
Champlain Orchards,  Finance Manager
Champlain Orchards,  Farm Market Manager
Mad River Food Hub,  Tastemonger: Mad River Taste Place
New Entry Sustainable Farming Project,  Food Hub Operations Assistant and Driver (seasonal, 30-40 hours)
Merck Forest and Farmland Center,  Farm Manager
Vermont Agricultural Credit Corporation (VACC),  Agricultural Loan Assistant
Rutland Area Farm & Food Link,  Marketing & Community Engagement AmeriCorps VISTA
Yankee Farm Credit,  Loan Documentation Specialist
Clean Yield Asset Management,  Director Of Social Research And Advocacy
Vermont Agency of Ag, Food & Markets,  Staff Attorney


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