Broadening markets for the region’s food growers, especially farmers from the BIPOC and immigrant communities
Project start: November 2022
A collaboration of Vital Communities, Quechee-VT-based Global Village Foods (GVF), University of Vermont Dining/Sodexo, and the Fresh Start Farms (an organization of New American farmers in southern New Hampshire), this project aims to develop a regional farm ingredient sourcing supply channel that supports the significant growth that GVF anticipates that their allergy-friendly, culturally relevant, ready-to-eat meals will have in institutional food service channels and beyond.
The project is funded by a $200,000 grant from the Kendall Foundation’s New England Food Vision Prize, the majority of which went directly to GVF for systems updates and program support.
The project, driven by GVF, centers on their ongoing efforts to incorporate food grown in this region into their rapidly expanding institutional market, thereby creating a stable market for local growers and powering triple-digit growth for GVF’s African-inspired food products.
The project also involves expanding markets for BIPOC and immigrant farmers. Vital Communities joined the program on GVF’s request, in part to help build a network of these farmers. Other partners are Fresh Start Farms is a program of the Manchester, NH-based Organization for Refugee and Immigrant Success, or ORIS. Fresh Start supports immigrant farmers by providing technical assistance, land, and wholesale market opportunities In this project, ORIS will work with GVF to identify crops they need to provide new and diversified revenue streams in the coming years. In addition, Fresh Start Farms looks forward to offering GVF meals in its store. The Fresh Start Food Hub in downtown Manchester, NH “plays a critical role in growing New Hampshire’s local food movement, including making fresh, local food accessible and affordable for all New Hampshire residents,” and we look forward to supporting their efforts, farmers, and our local business – Global Village Foods!
News About This Project
Vital Communities and Partners Win $200,000 “Food Vision Prize”
Prize Supports Regional Project to Increase Local, BIPOC-grown ingredients in meals for UVM Dining Services Thanks to a $200,000 “Food…
