Frequently Asked Questions
What is farm to institution?
Farm to institution (F2i or FTI) is the practice of connecting schools, colleges, hospitals, early care programs, prisons, and other institutions with local and regional farms, fishers, and food producers. Institutions are powerful levers in the food system — across New England, they collectively spend $1 billion on food each year and serve roughly one in four people on any given day. When that purchasing power is directed toward regional producers, it can meaningfully strengthen local food economies, improve access to fresh and culturally connected food, and build a more resilient food system for everyone.
What is Farm to Institution New England (FINE)?
FINE is a regional nonprofit network backbone organization founded in 2011, when farm to school leaders across the six New England states recognized the need for a broader cross-sector network. We work at the intersection of food procurement, equity, and systems change — connecting farmers and fishers, food system leaders, and institutions across K–12 schools, colleges and universities, hospitals, early care programs, and carceral settings. Our work is grounded in the belief that a just, equitable, and regenerative food system in New England requires collective power and shared purpose. More About FINE.
What states does FINE serve?
FINE works across all six New England states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. New England has a shared history of cross-state collaboration on food systems issues, and our regional approach is central to how we work — pooling knowledge, relationships, and resources that no single state organization could build alone.
Who is part of the FINE network?
YOU ARE! FINE's network spans the full arc of the farm to institution value chain: farmers, fishers, and food producers; food hubs, distributors, and processors; K–12 school food programs; colleges and universities; hospitals and healthcare systems; early childhood programs; and organizations working in carceral food systems. Community organizations, advocates, state agencies, funders, and researchers are also active network participants. The network is supported by a Network Advisory Council of food system leaders from across the region.
What does FINE actually do?
FINE serves the network in three main ways. We facilitate relationship-building and gathering spaces — most notably the biennial Northeast Farm to Institution Summit — where food system leaders connect, collaborate, and co-design solutions. We expand skills and capacity through research, tools, webinars, communities of practice, and resources freely available to the network. And we amplify stories and data that demonstrate the impact of farm to institution work across the region, making the case for further investment and policy change.
What is the Northeast Farm to Institution Summit?
The Northeast Farm to Institution Summit (Summit or F2iSummit) is FINE's signature biennial gathering — a multi-day event bringing together 500 food system leaders from across New England and beyond to share knowledge, build relationships, and advance the farm to institution movement. Past summits have been held in Providence, RI, Amherst, MA, Leominster, MA, and Portland, ME, and now in Burlington, VT cohosted with the Vermont Farm to School and Early Childhood Conference.
How can my institution start sourcing more local food?
Getting started often means identifying what your institution currently buys, where there are opportunities to shift purchasing toward regional producers, and which relationships — with distributors, food hubs, or direct farm partners — can make that possible. FINE's resource database offers tools, case studies, and guides developed specifically for food system practitioners navigating this work. You're also welcome to reach out to us directly at info@farmtoinst.org — connecting people across the network is core to what we do.
How can farmers and fishers connect with institutional buyers?
Selling to institutions can offer consistent volume and long-term relationships, though it requires navigating purchasing processes, food safety requirements, and volume expectations that differ from direct-market sales. FINE's network includes food hubs, distributors, and value chain coordinators who specialize in bridging producers and institutions, particularly for those who are newer to wholesale markets. Our resources section includes research and guides on this topic, and our events are a direct pathway into the relationships that make institutional sales possible.
How does FINE approach equity in its work?
Equity is central to FINE's mission, not an add-on. This means centering the voices and needs of Priority Impacted Communities in how programs are designed and who they serve. It means actively building toward a food system where BIPOC-owned farms have consistent access to institutional markets, where food served in institutions reflects the cultural identities of the people eating it, and where the people most affected by food system inequities — including incarcerated people — are part of the conversation. FINE's strategic plan names this commitment explicitly, and it shapes our programming, partnerships, and organizational culture.
How can I stay connected to FINE and the network?
Subscribe to The FINE Print, our email newsletter featuring news, resources, and stories from across the New England farm to institution network. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn; attend one of our Summits; watch one of our webinar and workshop recordings; explore our resource database; and register for our webinar series and events. If you're doing farm to institution work in New England and want to be more engaged, we'd love to hear from you.