Food Loss in Vermont: Estimating Annual Vegetable and Berry Loss
When and why is wholesome food lost in Vermont? Theresa Snow of
Salvation Farms
and Elana Dean of Isgood Community Research conducted a survey of 58 vegetable and berry farms representing 13 out of 14 counties to understand the scope of food loss on Vermont farms.
The study
estimated that 13.7 million pounds of vegetables and 590 thousand pounds of berries are lost each year.
Food is lost on the farm and after storage or market. Vegetable farmers in this study estimated that 34% of unpicked produce was edible, while berry farmers estimated that 25% of unpicked berries were edible. Respondents indicated that 33% of vegetables that are not sold are donated, while 4% of berries not sold are donated. It is this combination--edible produce that is not picked plus pounds of produce not sold or donated--that equals 14.3 million pounds of food lost.
The report's authors conclude that there is an immense amount of work to be done to coordinate market opportunities for farmers, compensate farmers for the foods they produce, and support larger-scale, professionalized gleaning, food rescue, and farm surplus management operations.
Relates to Farm to Plate Goals:
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Why Buy Local? An Exploration of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Economics
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David Conner and Bernice Garnett
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- Buying direct from farmers and perceived impacts on health and the environment significantly increase reported fruits and vegetable consumption likelihood across all participants.
- Engagement in local food systems may improve fruit and vegetable consumption.
- Vermonters value "local/grown in Vermont" more than "knowing the farmer."
- In response to the question "When determining what foods you buy, how important is...." "Impact on your health" was most frequently cited as Very Important.
Citation:
Conner, D. and Garnett, B. (2016). Economic and Environmental Drivers of Fruit and V
eg
etable
Intake Among Socioeconomically Diverse Adults in Vermont.
Journal of Hunger and
Environmental Nutrition,
11 (2) 263-271.
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Getting it There: The Role of New England Food Distributors in Providing Local Food to Institutions
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Climate Change Through the Lens of Farmers
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Meredith Niles, University of Vermont
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Meredith Niles, of
UVM's Department of Nutrition and Food Science, co-authored a
study that examined farmer perceptions of historical climate change, how perceptions are related to observed trends in regional climate, how perceptions are related to the presence of irrigation infrastructure, and how perceptions are related to beliefs and concerns about climate change. The research, which was gathered in New Zealand, compared climate records dating back to 1980 and surveyed farmers' perceptions on annual rainfall and temperature.
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Irrigation system in New Zealand - Photo by Meredith Niles
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The study found that:
- Farmers' perceptions of local climate change do not consistently track with historical climate changes over time
- Farmers with irrigation infrastructure were more likely to believe that rainfall had increased and temperatures had dropped over the years.
- Perceptions - whether accurate or not - are correlated with climate change belief and future climate concerns and risks.
Citation:
Niles, M.T. and N. Mueller. (2016). Farmer perceptions of climate change: Associations with observed temperature and precipitation trends, irrigation, and climate beliefs. Global Environmental Change, 39: 133-142.
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Value-Added Dairy Products from Grass-Based Dairy Farms: A Case Study in Vermont
On-farm processing of value-added dairy products has long been touted as a way for small dairy farms to diversify production and increase revenue. Quingbin Wang, Robert Parsons, Jennifer Colby,
and
Jeffrey Castle
of the
University of Vermont
, have conducted a study that examines
characteristics of three groups of Vermont farmers who have
grass-based
dairy farms--those producing value-added dairy products, those
interested in such products, and those not interested in such products.
Researchers found that the three groups differ significantly relative to herd size, engagement in organic operation, land management, self-rated level of business success, and
demographic factors, such
as education. For example, dairy farms not interested in value-added dairy products tended to have more cows per farm than the two other groups, higher sales revenue per farm, and tended to have farming as their primary job.
The study suggests that "although all dairy farmers are likely looking for opportunities to boost their revenue and income, value-added dairy products seem more applicable to farms with small herds and more available labor."
Citation:
Wang, Q., et al., Value-Added Dairy Products from Grass-Based Dairy Farms: A Case Study in Vermont,
Journal of Extension, 54(3).
Relates to Farm to Plate Goals:
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Food System Energy Issues
The
Farm to Plate Energy Cross-Cutting Team
published a new section of the Farm to Plate Strategic Plan:
Food System Energy Issues
. The local food movement reflects a growing preference for fresh, healthy food and direct connections with producers-and many Vermont businesses are stepping up to meet the demand. At the same time, Vermont's food system businesses are already contributors to renewable energy generation: from the siting of large solar and wind projects on agricultural land, to agricultural and woodland crops, animal waste, and food scraps that are used as feedstocks for electricity, heat, and liquid fuel. Vermont's food system consists of more than agricultural activities-large roofs at grocery stores and manufacturing facilities support solar installations, and several thousand buildings have made efficiency improvements.
The intersection of renewable energy systems and local food systems is fertile ground for developing sustainable solutions to pressing problems. Many food system businesses have already implemented energy saving and renewable energy producing technologies. But there is also the possibility of emerging conflicts over energy goals and food production goals. For example, many municipalities and Vermonters have expressed concern about the rapid development of larger solar PV installations around the state.
This section of the Farm to Plate Strategic Plan provides a foundation for improving our understanding of food system energy issues; identifying opportunities and strategies to help food system businesses reduce their reliance on nonrenewable energy sources and increase energy efficiency and the production of renewable energy; and improving the delivery of energy related technical assistance to food system businesses.
Relates to Farm to Plate Goal:
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Big Bertha: Vermont Tech's Anaerobic Digester
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Big Bertha is Vermont Tech's anaerobic digester.
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Vermont Tech recently released a
report detailing the complexities of developing the Vermont Tech Community Anaerobic Digester (VTCAD). Developing a new anaerobic digester can be a long and costly process. For example, the VTCAD was conceived by a partnership of educational, agricultural, waste management and environmental groups and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. The first round of funding for the project was received in 2008 but the VTCAD was not operational until 2014.
At full power, VTCAD uses 16,000 gallons of manure and organic residuals to produce 8,880 kWh of electricity per day, 'waste' heat that will be used to heat four campus buildings, bedding material for the college dairy herds and recycled nutrients used as crop fertilizer. VTCAD uses a mixture of manure from co-managed farms and organic residuals collected from the community. Feedstock materials include brewery residuals, the glycerol by-product of biodiesel production from waste cooking oil, grease trap waste, and waste paper and, soon, locally collected pre- and post-consumer food residuals.
Relates to Farm to Plate Goals:
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Additional Food System Research Resources
The UVM Food Feed is a great blog that showcases food system research and initiatives at the University of Vermont.
UVM Food Systems Initiative
is a transdisciplinary effort to promote research, teaching, and outreach on the most pressing agricultural and food issues of today.
Molly Anderson is organizing a new program in Food Studies at Middlebury College, where she teaches about hunger and food security, fixing food systems, and sustainability. She is especially interested in multi-actor collaborations for sustainable food systems, sustainability metrics and assessment, food system resilience, human rights in the food system, food security and the right to food in the US and other industrialized countries, and the transition to a post-petroleum food economy.
The Sustainable Food Systems curriculum provides the tools for shaping a more resilient food future, preparing students to advocate for better food policy, improve food access and security, enhance public health, innovate as a food entrepreneur, and nourish self and community.
The way humans produce food can intensify problems like global warming, water scarcity and energy shortages. Farming methods can also become part of the solution for a more habitable world. Green Mountain College's Sustainable Agriculture & Food Production program shows students how to take part in the current food revolution that is transforming farming and how we view food.
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Don't Forget - The Farm to Plate Website Features Data and Graphics
The Farm to Plate website has
collected data and created many visualizations for the
25 Goals of the Farm to Plate Strategic Plan.
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