Impact Report 2021-2022

Growing New England's farm to institution movement for over a decade, FINE:  

1. Serves as the backbone for the farm to institution network in New England, supporting partners with key connections, tools, and resources to amplify their impact

2. Catalyzes collaborative projects that address key barriers in the New England institutional supply chain

3. Advances a policy and programmatic agenda

Read on for highlights of FINE's impact, Summer 2021 - Fall 2022...

Food is fundamental to us all, and is of critical importance to those who reside in our carceral system. Incarcerated people rely on the system for all of their nutrition, and they have few choices about what, when, or where they eat.

This past year, FINE expanded our understanding of food in the carceral sector through research, relationship building, and strategic planning.  We:

• Conducted Research. We teamed with students and faculty on three research projects to deepen our understanding of complex policy issues impacting food service operating conditions, and prison and jail gardens. Formerly incarcerated individuals provided candid insights into their experience eating, serving and growing food while incarcerated. 
• Convened a Community of Practice. We brought together leaders in food service operations in departments of corrections in Maine, Vermont and Massachusetts to identify common barriers, successes and opportunities to improve food conditions. 
• Built the Network. We engaged non-profit leaders in our region and across the country, including Vermont Works for Women, Salvation Farms, Impact Justice, Center for Science in the Public Interest, and The Maryland Project for Food and Abolition.
• Hosted a Carceral Food System Forum. Nearly 50 attendees convened on issues of policy, prison and jail gardens, metrics and data collection, and prison food reform.

FINE's work in the carceral system is supported by grants from Cotyledon Fund, the Whitehead Foundation, and the Gardiner Howland Shaw Foundation.

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The New England Farm & Sea to Campus Network is a community of higher education and food systems stakeholders who connect, share, and collaborate to develop transparent regional supply chains and educate campus communities about regional food systems. Over the last year, we:

• Expanded our network and outreach, connecting with 123 colleges (an increase over the last two years), including 21 that are new to FINE.
• Increased accessibility of virtual events, via our webinars, including a Spanish-speaking presenter and ASL interpretation.
• Increased the diversity of our network with targeted outreach to community colleges and BIPOC-led and serving organizations.

Our work focused on timely issues including labor, food insecurity, the rise in food and packaging waste, and of course, values-based food procurement. By focussing on these issues, all exacerbated by the pandemic, our goal was to support action, share ideas, and elevate demand for change. We also contributed to FINE-led and externally-led research projects that help us better understand the changes in farm to campus over the last two turbulent years and to uncover solutions to ongoing challenges.

Adding to our existing tools like the Resource Database (400+ resources and growing!) FINE has added some new tools recently: 

Farm and Sea to Campus Data Center Newly launched, this replaces previous campus surveys with an iterative, user friendly data collection tool that generates reports for institutions and streamlines the aggregation process. We hope to make this tool accessible to other sectors in the future

Farm and Sea to Campus Purchase Tracker Supports colleges (and other institutions) in collecting and analyzing their purchasing data. It simplified the process of understanding values based purchases and makes it easy to set a baseline and measure progress. 

Vermont Local Food Incentive Tracking Tools FINE worked with NOFA-VT, Northbound Ventures, VT Agency of Ag, and advisory group to develop series of tracking tools to support schools in tracking towards local food incentive. 

• Vermont Local Foods Tracker and Calculator 
• Vermont Local Foods List

Food and Agriculture Data Explorer Continued work with USDA AMS to enhance regional food systems work in the face of COVID-19 and other crises. Supported the development of new Data Explorer to streamline process of collecting food systems data. The Explorer aggregates data that was previously located in multiple places into one platform that allows you to view maps, build dashboards, download raw data, and upload new data. 

Guide to Purchasing Non-toxic Foodware for Institutional Dining FINE is working on an EPA funded project to assess the risks of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in foodware in college dining. Our research, in partnership with Smith College, resulted in a series of recommendations for purchasing non-toxic foodware in institutions. 

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Theme: CommUNITY Powers the Food System - f2isummit.org

The Northeast Farm to Institution Summit strengthens the regional food system by celebrating and supporting the role of institutions as anchors in the region. By bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders in a collaborative process, the summit generates ideas and connections that advance the ability of the Northeast to support viable farm, food, and sea businesses and healthy, just communities.

• Hundreds of attendees representing institutions, food service management companies, non-profit organizations, farms, food distributors, food processors, government agencies, foundations, and others in the food supply chain.
• Four days of programming—two virtual and two in-person—with keynote speeches, panels, breakout sessions, workshops, and demos.
• Robust virtual and in-person networking opportunities embedded throughout.

Agenda, details, and registration... coming soon!

FINE's work is guided by a Network Advisory Council, a team of deeply committed advisors who not only form FINE's governing body, but collaboratively shape farm to institution activity in New England. We are grateful to each of these professionals for their unique experience, passion, and commitment to improving our shared food system.

FINE Staff located around the region bring varied experience, passion, humor, commitment and energy to proudly do the work that supports the network day in and day out - we are here to help you succeed in your efforts - and collectively, to mobilize the power of institutions to transform the food system.

FINE Staff

Peter Allison, Executive Director
Britt Florio, Program Coordinator
Hannah Leighton, Director of Research and Evaluation
Sarah Lyman, Director of Communications
Dana Stevens, Event & Project Manager
Tania Taranovski, Director of Programs