LINKING FARMERS WITH INSTITUTIONS
The Chesapeake Farm to Institution Value Chain Coordination Project prepares both institutions and farmers to commit to larger local food sales transactions, leveraging important federal farm-to-school funding, and complying with state legislation on local food. It addresses the challenges institutions have in transacting with small family farms, and prepares farmers to work within state institutions and public school procurement processes. We develop strategies to expand local food in institutions such as state agencies, four-year public universities, correctional facilities and K through 12 schools; we identify and support farmers interested to work in those markets; help create individual institutional demand plans, and coordinate farmers; sales to meet those plans, identifying the best logistics for them, leading to purchasing commitments. We engage key partners in the supply chain: County and State offices of Agriculture, Food Councils, food processors, and distributors.
CAIC is currently hiring for a. full time Value Chain Coordination Administrator position. If
interested, contact Alice at aliceatsunbirdfarm@gmail.com
HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?
If you are a procurement officer or food service director:
● Understanding your barriers and challenges to buying local; we can help you overcome these challenges with a customized demand plan
● Tactics to integrate local products easily into your food supply chain
● Identifying the logistics that work best for deliveries
If you are a farmer, fisherman, or local value-added producer interested in wholesale sales:
● Sales assistance – we open doors for farmers by educating purchasing officers on local products and local farms
● Technical assistance to farms to respond to solicitations, provide input on crop plans, and connect to logistics providers (transportation or cold storage)
If you are a farm aggregator, food hub, or regional food distributor:
● Understanding your barriers and challenges to selling local; we can help you engage with large buyers
● Identifying farmers that can be good fit with your aggregating standards and meet the needs of your buyers
If you are interested in more information about the resources available contact Alice at
alice@caic.org or 443 243 2998