4th Annual Love Local: Meet Your Farmers + Makers
November 12th, 6-8pm
Between Farm Gate & Dinner Plate: Rebuilding the Middle of the Food Chain
An antidote to what divides us, food brings people together. In the face of political divide, global pandemics, workers strikes, and devastating climate disasters, having a strong local and regional supply chain is critical to our wellbeing, even our survival.
This year's Love Local event highlights the critical work of the “middle” of the food chain—those who ensure farmers are supported and neighbors have access to fresh, local food.
“In our tumultuous world, I was inspired by the presentations last night that demonstrate the commitment to do what is right, despite all challenges.”
Through short videos and a live Q&A, we’ll shine a light on three nonprofit food hubs and organizations here in New England that provide essential, often overlooked, services in our food system:
Fresh Start Farmer harvests cherry tomatoes in a greenhouse at their location in Dunbarton, NH
Fresh Start Farms
Fresh Start Farms a collective of immigrant and refugee farmers in New England, based out of central NH, working to create economic opportunities and food security while sharing the richness of their cultural traditions.
Beginning in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fresh Start Farms began to work with other producers and food hubs to expand product offerings and to provide access to fresh local foods year-round. It has grown significantly over the years, and you can find produce from the Fresh Start Farmers at their food hub in Manchester, among other places like farmers markets and mobile markets.
Photo from the NE Young Fishermen’s Alliance website.
New England Young Fishermen’s Alliance
New England Young Fishermen’s Alliance is a nonprofit organization committed to empowering the next generation of fishermen through training, mentorship, and advocacy. With a dwindling workforce on our New England shores, specifically young folks operating small or medium-sized vessels, providing this support is essential in ensuring the sustainability of our coastal fisheries.
Photo from Food Connects Instagram, @foodconnectsVT
Food Connects
Food Connects is a nonprofit based in Brattleboro, VT dedicated to improving access to healthy, local food by connecting farms with schools, institutions, and community programs through their food hub distribution services. They play a vital role in supporting farmers with market development and distribution, while making local foods more accessible to the community - including kids in school with a robust farm to school program!
We’ve been partnering with them at Sweet Beet Market for years as their robust aggregation and distribution allows for more regional products to make it into our local market through convenient weekly deliveries.
At this event, you'll learn how these organizations are building bridges and strengthening our regional food infrastructure to better support farmers, fishers, and the communities they feed, as well as what we can all do to support a vibrant, food secure future.
Love Local is an opportunity to dig into the hard issues, while also celebrating the folks doing important work and charting a hopeful course forward, together.
Thank you to our Event Sponsors!
Founder Stephanie and her team at Micro Mama’s have been and continue to be leaders in the local food system and organic community.
Walden Mutual Bank is a unique model working to provide financial resources and planning to food and farm-based businesses in New England.
Sugar River Bank has a strong commitment to community and sees the value in sponsoring effort to strengthen our local food system.
2023 Love Local video playlist
Love Local is a traditional annual event we host here at the Kearsarge Food Hub because we believe it is incredibly important to shine a light on the important work being done in our local and regional food system.
From growing, to processing, to distributing local and regional foods, there are people all along the supply chain doing this critical work day in and day out. Learning about these efforts gives us all a deeper appreciation for the incredible effort it takes to put food on all our tables, and shows us how to be a part of a resilient, food secure future.
Watch last year’s videos or the full event below and get excited for Love Local 2024 on November 12th!
