Regional Partnerships and Approaches to Farm to Institution Presenter: Peter Allison

1. Regional Partnerships and
Approaches to Farm to Institution
 Peter Allison, Farm to Institution New England (FINE)
 peter@farmtoinstitution.org; 802.436.4067
 Kelly Erwin, Massachusetts Farm to School Program/ RSC
Member for Northeast FTS Steering Committee
 kea@massfarmtoschool.org; 413-253-3844
 Christine James, John Merck Fund
 cjames@jmfund.org; 617-556-4120
 Kathy Lawrence, School Food FOCUS
 klawrence@schoolfoodfocus.org; 914.708.7053
 Vanessa Herald, UW-Madison Center for Integrated
Agricultural Systems/ RLA- Great Lakes Region of the
National Farm to School Network
 vherald@wisc.edu; 608.263.6064

2. What is one issue related to partnerships and collaboration that you want
to talk about today?

3. FARM TO INSTITUTION NEW ENGLAND
(FINE)
www.FarmToInstitution.org

4. Collective Impact
Large-scale social change requires broad cross-
sector coordination, yet the social sector remains
focused on the isolated intervention of individual
organizations.
Collective Impact: By John Kania & Mark Kramer, published in Stanford Social Innovation Review,
Winter 2011
http://www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/collective_impact

5. FINE - Overview
 Six-state collaboration working to strengthen our
regional food system by increasing the demand and
use of New England food by New England
institutions
 Initiated by the National Farm to School Network
(Northeast Regional Steering Committee) with
strong support from the six New England Chief
Agriculture Officers
 Base of engaged funders – USDA-RD, John Merck
Fund, Kendall Foundation, and others
 Expanding partnership to include change agents in
hospitals, colleges, corporations, and agencies
 Effective involvement by government entities

6. FINE Structure
 Leadership Team
 Coordinator
 Fiscal Sponsor
 Workgroup Leaders
 Project Leaders
 Community of
Practice/Learning
Communities

7. Overview of FINE Projects
Supply Chain Focus Cross-Cutting Strategies
 Distribution  Identify barriers
 Conduct pilot projects and
 Processing research
 Procurement  Support state projects and
 Scratch Cooking networks
 Convene partners &
 Product Focus: Beef to learning communities
Institution
 Recommend policy
change
 Measure progress
 Share information
www.FarmToInstitution.org

8. Why focus on institutions?
 Logical outgrowth of
FTS efforts
 Institutions have lots of
consumers – In New
England:
 2.16 million K-12 students
($150 million school food
purchases)
 900 thousand college and
university students and staff
 43 thousand people hospital
staff
 Institutions are stable
 Institutions are visible
to current and future
leaders

9. Why focus on a regional
approach?
 There is a New
England regional
identity
 Producers and
consumers are split
geographically
 MA has 50% of
population
 VT raises 50% of dairy
and beef
 ME has 50% of acres
of berries and

10. Why focus regionally?
 Each state has
unique assets to
share with the others
 Food system
companies cross
state lines
 Producers,
distributors, food
service companies
 Potentially greater
policy influence

11. What is challenging?
 It’s a big place and people are
busy – hard to get together in
person and to keep up
 States do have their own
agendas, structures and
identity
 Real and perceived
competition between partners
and region for:
 Dollars
 Leadership and credit
 Time and attention of leaders
 The existential questions:
Who we are – Who is a
partner? What does that
mean?

12. Where are we heading?
 Expand and clearly define
partner base
 Develop targeted
measurement strategies
 Create a more advanced
and integrated
communication system
 Continue pilot and
research projects
 Convene regional
communities of practice/
learning communities
 Support our state
programs and networks
that support the regional
collaboration