Connecticut Food System Alliance Summit

Tuesday, September 28th 2010, The Studio @ Billings Forge, Hartford, CT

The goal of this summit was to gather a diverse mix of experienced stakeholders dedicated to positive change to Connecticut’s local food system for an open discussion focused on key barriers and

innovative strategies, with an emphasis on areas of reform with broad potential impact.

BREAKOUT SESSION NOTES

Four breakout session topics were structured to engage Connecticut change agents in collaboratively identifying key opportunities that will most benefit from being addressed by a statewide food system alliance. To wrap up the summit, attendees indicated those barriers or opportunities they were most

interested in addressing as a group. Votes are noted in red below; those receiving the greatest amount of interest are also bold.

Breakout Session Topic: Nurturing Farmers Description: Given the high demand for local products, coupled with the deep need for Connecticut farmers, what are the existing programs and opportunities that nurture farmers in a sustainable manner? What else is needed? Facilitators: Bill Duesing, CT NOFA and Annie Farrell, Millstone Farm Barriers

• Labor (2) o Training (2) o Finding housing o Regulations o Insurance (health insurance)

• Land: cost of (1) o Investment to build farming infrastructure o Zoning – easements, permits, agreements, legal, etc

• Ag infrastructure o Slaughter o Depot/Distribution o Feed stores o Equipment and repair

• Capital- How to get it? o Business plan advice (P&L, etc)

• Info access to Central

Opportunities • Education (2)

o Agro education o Community farms

o Craft program o WWOOF

• Land links – needs tweaking (land trusts, etc.) (6) • Grass roots farmer groups (2) • NOFA, etc.

Low hanging

• Co-Packers (Kingston) • Growers groups- HV/VT (2) • VOAG programs (5) • Farmer Training Programs (3)

Breakout Session Topic: Institutional and Retail Distribution Description: The potential for increased sustainable and effective farm-to-institution and farm-fresh-retail networks in Connecticut. Facilitator: John Turenne, Sustainable Food Systems Short-Term

• Centralized/Information Hub (8) o Relationship Management o Broker

• Leveraging existing small and large for-profit distributors o Better infrastructure o Variety of choice o Ordering/Billing

Mid-Term

• Create a regional distribution co. (1)

Long-Term • Expanding CSAs to year-round • Contract growing (3) • Producers co-op distribution and processing (6) • Non-profit producers = lower cost to buyers

Breakout Session Topic: Affordability/Accessibility Description: Leveraging existing resources to increase affordability and accessibility of the full range of CT Grown products to consumers. Facilitators: Nicole Berube, CitySeed and Arthur Lerner, F.R.E.S.H. New London Key Opportunities

1. Basic food skills (cooking and growing) (5) 2. Coalescing resources to support farming (existing and new) –land trusts, WLA, etc; national

service; youth, grants, consumers, etc. (2) 3. Encouraging “contract growing” and institutional markets (9) 4. Utilize existing voices (buyctgrown and Dept. of Ag) to increase visibility to increase demand

5. Using existing food policy councils (and others) to advocate for buying local food for state and municipal institutions (9)

Breakout Session Topic: Group Sustainability and Continuity Description: Identifying a feasible approach to building connectivity on a statewide level through key focus areas. Facilitators: Jiff Martin, American Farmland Trust and Cristina Sandolo, Wholesome Wave Working Group (4)

• Volunteer • In-kind • Finite time

Info/Input Gathering

• Consumer, farmers, key players (2) • Listening sessions/focus groups (1) • Regionally • Research from universities

Goal?

• Blueprint CT (11) • Policy/policies- state level, new governor (1) • Informal network? – parties (3) • Resource sharing – buy CT Grown (1)

Structure

• University partnerships / Collaboration (4) • Funding • Who else?

                   

This  event  was  sponsored  by: