To sell more produce from New England farms to more local institutions by providing growers with new market opportunities and distributors with steady, transparent supply chains; and developing logistics and marketing solutions to encourage institutional customers to source more local…
To strengthen the capacity of emerging regional food systems infrastructure enterprises (e.g., food hubs and food processors) by providing business strategy and financial assistance so that food producers can scale up to obtain contracts with institutional buyers.
To build a stronger food system by connecting New England farms and food producers to the region’s institutions through cross-state collaboration and infrastructure development.
To establish a food plan and supporting network for Maine.
To shift New England colleges and universities food purchases away from industrial agriculture towards local, sustainable, and fair sources.
To recognize Russell Libby as the 2012 Sparkplug Award Recipient.
To increase the amount of fresh, local foods that institutional customers in central Vermont purchase.
To purchase highly nutritious foods from local producers at wholesale prices, thereby making fresher, local food available for impoverished and food-insecure people and creating new revenue sources for Maine farmers and food producers.
To ensure that Maine farmers and food producers are prepared to meet the increasing demand for healthy, sustainable and organic food throughout the region, particularly in the more populated southern New England states.
To provide in-depth business coaching to food businesses that have developed value-added products and are providing critical infrastructure and processing facilities for other Vermont food enterprises.