NORTHEAST ORGANIC FARMING

These programs work across a spectrum of efforts on the consumer side of the food system to expand access and develop the market for local and organic food. Wholesale markets program this program includes support for school and other institutional food service professionals to procure and utilize local and organic food and marketing and technical assistance to support direct marketing farms. Direct markets program the program expands access to the market for local and organic food. It includes coordination of the vermont farmers market association, support and technical assistance for direct marketers and farmers markets to accept 3squaresvt/snap benefits and our related food access programs, farm share (sliding scale cost sharing for csas) and crop cash/farm stand match (1:1 match for transactions using 3squaresvt benefits at participating farmers markets and farm stands).

The marketing and communication program supports the other programs of nofa-vt, builds consumer demand for vermont organic food with research- based marketing, and advances public understanding of issues affecting vermont organic farmers. The purpose of this program is to advocate on behalf of members to build a food and farming system where farmers can thrive, natural systems are healthy and functioning, and everyone has enough nourishing food to eat. Policy and advocacy accomplishes this through grassroots advocacy and action, direct advocacy and coalition building. This program works to expand the number of people involved in the movement for an ecological, climate resilient, and equitable food system by providing movement building events and opportunities to learn about agriculture, increasing the general public's agricultural literacy, deepening the engagement of our members in work that moves us towards our collective vision, and shifting the narrative by highlighting how vt's organic farmers are key to our thriving future.