Yarden of Eatin'

Monadnock Menus Feels Inspired

February 8, 20112 Comments

We feel inspired – inspired by you: the eaters of the Monadnock Region. Three-quarters of you answered our 2010 survey and said supporting local businesses and agriculture is very important to you. This inspired us to move forward with a program that will empower you to put your money where your mouth is: The Monadnock Menus Program.

The Monadnock Menus Program has a full plate of goals – to create a community where local food is easy to find, increase the number of restaurants and cafeterias serving local food, and encourage more of us to choose local food wherever we happen to eat. As we develop this program we glean ideas and resources from other programs such as the Vermont Fresh Network, New Hampshire Farm to Restaurant Connection, and Monadnock Matchmaker Event.

What is Success to Farm Business Owners?

January 17, 2011Leave a comment

Success, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. The Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship wants to help business owners achieve success. Currently, we are focusing on the success of four industries: farming, independent retail, construction and artisans.

Farm Focus:

What is success to farm business owners? What we’ve heard from Monadnock Region farmers is that a successful farm:
•    Provides a living wage to all farm workers.
•    Affords health insurance to the farmer’s family.
•    Raises happy farm animals & satisfied customers.

How does Hannah Grimes currently help farmers and food processors achieve success?
•    An online Farm Focus e-newsletter highlighting regional farming events, business training and news.
•    Free classified ads section in the Monadnock Localvore e-newsletter that goes out to 550 local food enthusiasts.
•    Monthly business coaching sessions and workshops in marketing, sales and other topics offered free of charge.
•    Access to a year-round market for local products at the Hannah Grimes Marketplace on Main Street.

We’re currently in the process of developing better ways for Hannah Grimes and our partners to support farm businesses in our region. Please feel free to share your vision for your farm’s success and other thoughts with us – email us at jen@hannahgrimes.com or call 603-352-5063; http://www.hannahgrimes.com.

What Could A Stronger Local Food System Accomplish?

January 16, 2011May 19, 20152 Comments

Imagine if we invested more resources into our local food and farm economy.
What could a stronger local food system accomplish?

Thanks to the Great Falls Food Hub, food economist Ken Meter visited our region this fall. Ken compiled “Local Farm & Food Economy” data from four counties: Cheshire & Sullivan of New Hampshire and Windham & Windsor of Vermont.

While many local farm and food system organizations came together to learn more during Ken’s visit – his work inspires action across multiple disciplines such as health, energy, and community economic development.

How can we continue this dialogue?

Healthy Eating/Vision 2020

One way to continue the dialogue around what a stronger food system could accomplish is through community initiatives like Vision 2020 (empowering our county to become that healthiest in the nation by 2020).

Imagine if we invested more resources into our local food and farm economy.
What could a stronger local food system accomplish?

We Could Live Healthier Lives

People who eat more local food tend to eat more fruits and vegetables – one indicator of healthy eating that Vision 2020 tracks.

Perhaps you’ve joined a Community Supported Farm and experienced the weekly influx of fruits and vegetables to your kitchen. Maybe your child’s school is growing local food and inspiring you to prepare healthier meals at home. Has choosing more local food changed the way you eat?

How We Live Now: The True Cost of Cheap Food

In the United State, 6 out of the 10 leading causes of death are attributed to poor diet and low physical exercise. By 2018 40-45% of all school age children will be insulin dependent, becoming the first generation in our country’s history to die at a younger age than their parents. The percentage of young people who are obese has more than tripled since 1980.

In Keene, 60% of residents are overweight (36%) or obese (24%) and the Great Falls Region spends $58 million each year treating conditions caused by being overweight and $379 million to treat the conditions caused by obesity.

How We Can Live: Vision 2020

How can Vision 2020 and our work to strengthen the local food system blend into one initiative? Can money spent on treating disease be shifted to increasing access to healthy, local food for all? Recently, a work group of community members formed to create an action plan to increase healthy eating. Local food system work needs to be at the table. For more information about the Healthy Eating Work Group contact Linda Rubin at lrubin@cheshire-med.com or 354-5400 ext 3930.

Other ways to continue this dialogue?

Bringing the Voices of Local Farms & Local Food to the Table

December 12, 2010December 12, 2010Leave a comment

How can we make sure local farmers are represented in the laws and plans created by our local governments? How can we create better policies that will increase everyone’s access to healthy local food?

The November 2010‘s Monadnock Localvore e-newsletter focused on two types of citizen groups that form to tackle such questions:

Agricultural Commissions & Food Policy Councils

How are they similar?
How are they different?

What is a Food Policy Council?
Posted on North American Food Policy Council Website

Food Policy Councils (FPCs) bring together stakeholders from diverse food-related sectors to examine how the food system is operating and to develop recommendations on how to improve it. FPCs may take many forms, but are typically either commissioned by state or local government, or predominately a grassroots effort. While FPC’s are not a new concept, their structures, practices, and policies are still evolving. Although the first Food Policy Council started 30 years ago in the city of Knoxville, only in the last decade have Food Policy Councils really gained momentum, and today there are over 100 councils nationwide.

Sample of Food Policy Councils in New England:
VT: Burlington Food Council
MA: Holyoke Food Policy Council
ME: Saco River Lake Region Food Policy Council

How are AgComs & FPCs similar?

Both groups work to educate government officials and the public and coordinate between existing programs. Their projects range from creating farm maps to starting farmers markets.

How are they different?
AgComs and FPCs tend to look at food systems through slightly different lenses, with the former focusing on farmers & agricultural land and the latter on increasing access to healthy food & decreasing hunger. For example, AgComs will work to provide direct services to farmers, where FPCs will take on projects to better transit routes and create community gardens in underserved areas – but both have the vision of creating healthier local food systems.

What’s your interest? Have you participated in either?

Are you interested in bringing the work of AgComms and FPCs to our region? How can we build upon the work that is already happening to strengthen our local and regional food system? Share your interests and experiences via email or on Facebook.