Hardwick, Vermont - July 13, 2011
Vermont's Farm to Plate program's 10-year strategic plan is in place and now new director Erica Campbell is charged with bringing it to life.
"As we move forward, we need to be coordinated and focused on the needs of this food system," Campbell said.
The plan aims to improve the state's food system, creating new jobs and increasing the amount of food produced by and for Vermonters.
"Food systems really go from production to consumption, so building a regional local food system not only increases the amount of what's grown, but can be consumed," Campbell said.
Farm to Plate has dozens of outlined goals and strategies.
New networking, marketing and financial planning workshops for farmers and "agra-preneurs" are in the works.
This month the program handed out $40,000 in grants to help the P2P movement gain momentum; $7,500 will go toward a new meat processing facility in Waitsfield, $5,000 will bring new community fridge and freezer space to the Food Venture Center in Hardwick.
"We will be able to use that to support producers when they have an overflow of product. For example, we have chickens in storage right now; the farmer who is raising chickens ran out of space for that," said Louise Calderwood of the Food Venture Center.
The new equipment may also allow fruit and vegetable farmers to grow more and take their products to market once their season is over.
"Ideally, we'll be able to take all of the wonderful products we think of and associate with summer in Vermont and make sure that consumers have access to them year-round," Calderwood said.
Campbell hopes the small projects will add up and is looking to make sure they span the state.
She says the future of food is local and wants to make sure Vermonters aren't missing out.
"I think we are going to see a lot more of a regionalized food system. As the cost of fuel and other things increases, it will make a lot more sense," Campbell said.
The Farm to Plate program is being funded through a variety of sources including state jobs money and grants from private organizations.
Keith McGilvery - WCAX News
