New State Briefs for Connecticut & Massachusetts | |
What can each New England state do to increase food security and access while building resilience for the whole region? | |
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Drawing on the '30% by 2030' report, we contextualized important characteristics of each state's food systems for consideration to answer these key questions:
What strengths does each state's food system possess and what opportunities can be pursued? What weaknesses persist and what threats loom?
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Click on each image to open each State Brief | |
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Learn about each state's particular role in working towards the 30% by 2030 goal - key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats - as well as Next Steps and areas of priority.
State Briefs were compiled by Scott Sawyer in collaboration with our Core Partners, Connecticut Food System Alliance / MA Food System Collaborative and our Supporting Partners at the Connecticut Department of Agriculture / Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources.
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Maine State Brief Coming Soon! | |
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Q&A Spotlight
We look forward to sharing and breaking down some of the questions we have encountered in presentations so far, in hopes that we can create even more momentum and discussion around the 30% by 2030 goal.
Q: How have the findings and consequential goals of Volumes 1 & 2 changed how we might work with farmers?
A: We did not make any recommendations to speak to the specifics of how to achieve the 30% by 2030 goal, but we have left breadcrumbs throughout the report. Based on our business assistance and independent retailers work in Vermont over many years, we see the need to strengthen / expand business assistance to farmers and value-added producers who want to scale up to sell into wholesale markets. Wholesale readiness - including understanding the 'rules' of the retail marketplace - is an important consideration. More could be done to support farmers/food entrepreneurs to succeed (i.e. financial viability) in these larger markets.
Thank you for your continued excitement and energy around our report!
Answers were compiled from lead project team managers and report researchers.
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featuring Christian Peters, Food Production Team Leader for Volume 2: Estimating Production for 30% Regional Self-Reliance | |
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Chris Peters is the Research Leader of the USDA Agricultural Research Service's Food Systems Research Unit in Burlington, VT. He holds his MS and PhD in Soil and Crop Sciences from Cornell University. Dr. Peters studies the sustainability of food systems using computational modeling and through interdisciplinary research.
Chris was the Food Production Team Leader that developed Volume 2: Estimating Production for 30% Regional Self-Reliance. To develop Volume 2, Chris led the research team to create a model of regional self-reliance by estimating the region's production of food commodities compared to its consumption.
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Vermont F2P Lunch & Learn
Join us for an overview from Chris Peters about what the Food Production Team learned followed by a discussion of the implications for the future of Vermont's food system.
Friday, October 27, 2023 (12-1:15pm)
*Please note - you must be a VT F2P Member to access the Zoom and attend.
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NH Food Alliance Network Café Series
Join us for an overview from Chris Peters about what the Food Production Team learned followed by a discussion of the implications for the future of New Hampshire's food system.
Friday, November 3rd, 2023 (12-1pm)
*Registration is open to the public
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The Partnership is excited to introduce you to a few of the dynamic, innovative regional organizations we support.
Through this alignment, we can continue to work towards the New England Feeding New England goal of '30% by 2030!'
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The Northeast Grainshed Alliance (NGA) mission is to build connections and foster collaboration between local growers, processors and makers, and raise awareness in the deep-rooted belief in the value of regional grains. Farmers, Millers, Maltsters, Brewers, Distillers, Bakers, and Upcyclers; you all play a pivotal role in reshaping the future of grains in our region. | |
Join the NGA for their Annual Symposium in Canton, MA, on Monday, November 13th from 9am-3pm at Trillium Brewery | |
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A New Policy Program Unites Food Systems and Conservation Efforts
The complexities of the climate crisis have exposed a need for a more integrated approach to policy making — one that prioritizes the interdependent relationships between land use and conservation, food systems, and communities across the rural-to-urban continuum. This need has driven Wildlands, Woodlands, Farmlands & Communities (WWF&C) and Food Solutions New England (FSNE) to come together to launch a new policy initiative that promotes healthy farms, forests, and seascapes, advances sustainable food systems, and supports the health and well-being of all humans and non-humans that call New England their home. The newly formed Integrated Policy Program leverages research, resources, and collaborative networks to support local, state, and federal policy initiatives and multi-state and region-wide solutions that advance land and water protection; improve food, forestry and fisheries systems; strengthen environmental and land justice; and ultimately benefit nature and all in society.
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What are the demographics of our region?
Food production takes place primarily in the three northern New England states while the vast majority of the population (i.e., eaters) live in the three southern New England states (i.e., producers). What can we do to think and feel more like a region? What can we do to help consumers in CT, RI and MA care about farmers and fishers in Maine? How can Maine farmers and fishers realize how important they are to CT, RI and MA consumers - for instance.
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Massachusetts and Connecticut account for 69% of New England's population. The population for Boston is larger than the entire state of Vermont. This dynamic - big population centers in the southern states, and major agricultural production in the northern states - sets the stage for exploring regional food self-reliance.
(New England Feeding New England: A Regional Approach to Food System Resilience, Executive Summary, page 14, Figure 3: New England's Population Density by Town/City)
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Five years into the implementation of the Rhode Island State Food Strategy, Relish Rhody, a new report written by Holly Fowler of Northbound Ventures and Market Demand Team Leader for our report - in conjunction with our Supporting Partner, RI Commerce - takes inventory of what has been accomplished, where challenges remain, and provides guidance on priorities for the next phase of planning toward a 2030 food vision for Rhode Island. | |
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Local Food Counts Project
Part of the 10-year New England Feeding New England project is to conduct Local Food Counts in five of the New England states. We have assembled a team of lead analysts and research assistants in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and soon, Rhode Island and Main in collaboration with Farm to Institution New England.
This month - a survey will be sent to grocer/retailers, college/universities, food bank/pantries and other entities - to establish a baseline estimate of local food consumption in each of the New England states.
Local Food Counts data from all six of the New England states will enable us to better understand what percent of our food supply is being grown, sold and consumed in the region.
*Vermont's Local Food Count data was collected in 2011, 2014, 2017, and 2020 and VT Farm to Plate developed the peer reviewed methodology and the process roadmap we are following.
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Thank you to the growing list of regional and state-level organizations who have invited us to speak about our Partnership and the report! | |
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Upcoming Events
Vermont Farm 2 Plate Network Webinar, October 27, 2023
Cornell Extension + NOAA Monkfish Project Team, November 3, 2023
Regional Conservation Partnership Network Gathering, November 9, 2023
MA Seafood Marketing Steering Committee, November 9, 2023
University of Vermont Food System Summit, November 10, 2023
RI Hunger Elimination Task Force, November 14, 2023
Vermont Farm to Plate Network Gathering, November 16 & 17, 2023
Massachusetts Food System Forum, December 8th, 2023
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Understanding what it is happening across the nation in food systems work helps to inform and show us perspectives or opportunities we can think about here in New England - from news coverage and events to research endeavors - here are a few we're excited about | |
The New England Food System Planners Partnership (NEFSPP) is a collaboration amongst six state-level food system organizations, six-state agricultural agency representatives and Food Solutions New England (FSNE), a regional network that unites the food system community. Together, we are mobilizing our networks to impact local and regional food supply chains, in turn, strengthening and growing New England's food system. The Partnership works together to disseminate information on trends, challenges and opportunities in alignment with FSNE's New England Food Vision, and with hundreds of groups and organizations involved in food systems development across the region. | | | | |
