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Last month I wrote that Spring was here, but lately it's been feeling like we've fast-tracked to August in Southern Maine where I live. The weather has been warm - too warm - and it's not just my seedlings that are feeling the heat. My snap peas stretch to the skies as if even they are surprised to be this tall this soon. It may feel luxurious in the moment (who doesn't like a beach day in May?), but it's important to remember that our region faces a number of significant climate threats, from extreme rainfall to heat stress, hurricanes to sea level rise and water stress to wildfire.
In order to instigate change, we must first understand what is ahead. This is one of the primary reasons why we did the NEFNE research. It's helpful to visualize this data and the other research throughout the report, so as I mentioned last month, we are also working on a Data Dashboard (see another climate-related sneak peek below) that we aim to release in June.
In order to reach the 30% by 2030 goal, we must produce, grow, harvest, catch and source more local and regional food. But in the face of the extensive climate change and other threats, we all face a critical question: will we do what it takes?
Leah
Director, New England Food System Planners Partnership
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We are developing a new Data Dashboard to reflect the data from our report: A Regional Approach to Food System Resilience. An important feature of the dashboard is that you'll be able to toggle between regional, state and county level views for most data visualizations. We hope to share the release of the entire data dashboard in the June newsletter. | |
Although climate change means multiple, compounding risks for all regions, an analysis prepared by FourTwentySeven, Inc. and the New York Times in 2020 highlighted the most significant climate threat in each county in America. This graphic shows that as a region, we face great risk in the form of extreme rainfall. You can see from the image that New Hampshire is entirely at high risk for extreme rainfall as are large parts of Maine, Vermont and western Massachusetts. In the published dashboard, you'll be able to scroll and see what the other most significant climate threats are to our region by county. | |
Data Sources: FourTwentySeven, Inc, New York Times, New England Feeding New England: A Regional Approach to Food System Resilience | |
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Rozie Schleinig is the new Food Business & Economic Development Program Director for the Rhode Island Food Policy Council (RIFPC). In this role, she leads Council activities that support the success of Rhode Island farmers, seafood businesses, and processed food entrepreneurs. She's previously worked on specialty crop farms and with food hubs, has a Masters in Global Economic Affairs, and finally lives by the beach. She joins Nessa Richman, Executive Director of RIFPC, Ananda Fraser and Jack Sisson of RI DEM and Julianne Stelmasyzk of RI Commerce, as our Rhode Island representatives in the Partnership.
| | The Partnership is monitoring the innovative ideas and collaborations that have resulted in tangible improvements in regional sourcing by K-12 school districts, colleges, and universities across New England thanks to the Kendall Foundation's New England Food Vision Prize. From introducing kelp to the Boston College Dining Program to fostering partnerships for a regionally sourced marinara product in Maine, past Prize winners have made significant strides in reshaping our food systems for the better (note: there is still time to submit Letters of Interest for the 2024 FVP which is open until May 31, 2024!). | |
Our Partnership is actively aligning and working together across our states to most effectively distribute middle-of-the-supply-chain funding | |
USDA-AMS is working across states to design and build resilience in the middle-of-the-supply-chain and strengthen regional and local food systems through the creation of new revenue streams in the areas of aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, or distribution of local agricultural products. Each State Department of Agriculture is managing a different amount of funds, timelines and corresponding criteria but all will offer funds via two grant programs: Infrastructure and Equipment.
The following grant application is closing soon:
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Vermont
- Infrastructure Grant - open until June 5th, 2024
Infrastructure Grant awards are estimated to be announced in all states by Fall 2024. Maine and Vermont's Equipment-Only Grant programs will post in October 2024 with other states opening requests for applications in early 2025.
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Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC)
Established as part of the 2018 Farm Bill, and hosted by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets, the NE-DBIC funds the development of direct technical assistance, contracts, and grants that benefit dairy businesses, including niche dairy products such as specialty cheese and other products derived from cow, goat, and sheep milk. They have three funding programs which support Dairy Farmers, Dairy Processors and Dairy Service Providers.
Goat & Sheep Dairy Development Grant are now open through June 6, 2024
Additionally, Dairy Processors can apply for the Dairy Product Trade Show Assistance Grant which is open through June 25, 2024.
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Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)
The RCPP is a program of the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). It supports a partner-driven approach to conservation that funds solutions to natural resource challenges on agricultural land.
RCPP projects fall under two categories: RCPP Classic and RCPP Grants.
RCPP applications are now open through July 2, 2024.
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The 2024 NEASDA Regional Meeting will be held June 2-5, in Freeport, Maine. NEASDA is comprised of the Commissioners, Secretaries, and Directors of Agriculture from Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.
Ellen Kahler will share data from the NEFNE report's economic impact analysis and be joined by other key speakers:
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Leah Rovner, NEFSPP Director, will present the NEFNE research to the Addison County Hunger Council at their June meeting. The council is part of Hunger Councils of Vermont which is organized by Hunger Free Vermont. Leah will explore how we might empower our local and regional communities to produce more of our own food, contend with the challenges associated with local food affordability and accessibility and discuss how we can work toward building an economically viable, ecologically sound and socially just agricultural system for all.
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A 3-part presentation series on the NEFNE report will be kicked off on June 26th, 2024, from 6:30-7:30pm at the New Canaan Library as part of the Foodshed Network's 2024 Foodshed Forum and in collaboration with our partner, Meg Hourigan of the CT Food System Alliance. There will be a discussion about New England's potential to be more resilient against climate change through food, and the role Connecticut can play in reaching 30% by 2030.
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The Partnership is excited to introduce you to a few of the dynamic, innovative regional, state and community-level 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 Flexible Capital Fund, L3C (the “Flex Fund”) is an impact investment fund and Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that provides capital in the form of revenue-based financing to growing companies in Vermont’s food system, forestry and clean technology sectors. These businesses are critical to helping put food on our table, heating our homes, and providing clean, renewable energy for our communities.
With the launch of the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI), grant dollars will soon be awarded to small businesses, farmers, and producers in the New England states who are building resilience in the middle of the food supply chain and strengthen local and regional food systems by creating new revenue streams.
If you’re a business that applied or will be applying for an RFSI grant in your state, think big picture about how your business can best use the grant dollars for its highest and best use, and what, if any, additional kinds of capital you might need to make your project successful, or your business grow. Sometimes, a business needs multiple kinds of capital to grow. For example, grant dollars may support purchasing some equipment, expanding facility size, etc. but you may need additional working capital to hire staff, execute on your marketing plan, or cover operating costs while you ramp up production.
In New England, we have many funders who offer different types of capital (e.g. debt, equity, revenue-based financing, etc.) to fit the stage of growth of your company, the scale you want to grow to and the market(s) you’re selling into. On the grant and debt side, we have banks, community lenders, CDFIs, state lending agencies, regional revolving loan funds, impact funds, etc. On the equity side (meaning an investor or fund who buys shares or ownership in your company), we have individual angel investors, venture capital funds and private equity funds. Some funds, like the Flex Fund, even provide both debt and equity. The key is to find funders, investors, lenders who align with your vision and growth strategy.
To learn more, contact Janice St. Onge, President, Flexible Capital Fund at janice@flexiblecapitalfund.com.
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Local Food Counts Project
What percent of our food supply is being grown, sold and consumed in the region?
As you may know, a goal of the 10-year New England Feeding New England project is to conduct Local Food Counts to develop a 2022 baseline estimate for the amount of food being produced and consumed within the region. We closed our survey collection period on March 15th, and are now in the phase of debriefing, reporting and building visualized data dashboards to showcase our findings.
We look forward to having this early stage understanding for the other 5 states and are in conversation about more specific steps the Partnership can take to build momentum for the next count in 2026 (which will reflect 2025 data).
The LFC team consisted of lead analysts and research assistants in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Maine, in collaboration with Farm to Institution New England.
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*Vermont's Local Food Count data was collected in 2011, 2014, 2017, and 2020. VT Farm to Plate developed the peer reviewed methodology and the process roadmap we followed. | |
Understanding what it is happening across the nation in food systems work helps to inform and show us perspectives, opportunities and challenges. | |
Thank you to the growing list of regional and state-level organizations who have invited us to speak about our Partnership and the report! | |
The New England Food System Planners Partnership (NEFSPP) is a collaboration amongst seven 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. | | | | |
