Grant Program Regional Food Systems

To develop effective tools, resources, and policy recommendations to open institutional markets to regional farmers and food producers, particularly within higher education.

To grow new local food supply chains for institutions in Rhode Island and to select, track, and communicate about progress toward key metrics outlined in the Rhode Island Food Strategy.

To maintain an organizer in the New England plus New York region to educate and engage grassroots farm and food groups and practitioners around federal agriculture policy, and establish a multi-region national network of such organizers to allow for sustained…

To facilitate a significant presence of New England-based sustainable farming and food system organizations at the June 2018 meeting of the Northeast Association of State Directors of Agriculture and the September 2018 meeting of the National Association of State Departments…

To successfully transition from planning to implementation of The Blueprint, by building a business assistance network for farms and food businesses.

To help more farmers scale up for the wholesale market, which is essential to growing local and regional markets and the farming sector in Maine.

To ensure that Maine farmers and food producers are able to ramp up production, particularly in Aroostook County, as demand increases for healthy, sustainable, and organic food throughout the region.

To enable greater coordination and collaboration among organizations across Vermont to achieve the 25 goals of Vermont’s Farm to Plate Strategic Plan by 2020.

To work toward a more equitable and sustainable food system for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by promoting, monitoring, and facilitating implementation of the Massachusetts Local Food Action Plan.

To support Food Solutions New England’s work to implement key projects related to three core strategies, build network leadership, and further racial equity in the region.