Small Bites: April 8, 2021
created for farmers, food manufacturers, distributors, grocers, &
anyone else interested in how food moves

Local Food Count 2020 is off to a great start thanks to all of you sharing your sales data. UVM & Farm to Plate conduct a sales tracking project every three years. Getting data from 2020 is hugely important & we all know why! Local sales were allegedly off the charts; your data will help us determine just how much. Food manufacturers, farmers, grocers & distributors are sharing their sales.
It's not too late to BE COUNTED! Request your form by emailing localfoodcount2020@vsjf.org
The Grocery Corner

We are excited when stores take our lead. Butcher & Pantry closed for a day to Spring clean! The team took a can-do approach for deep cleaning, re-organizing & having fun taking ownership of specific tasks. The owners had it in their sights to do some re-merchandising & closed a day after their big Easter & Passover sales to take on the cleaning project. Leading into a big summer season, they are now super organized with a happy & empowered crew.

There were so many changes at food stores in 2020 to ensure safety; there are still more measures being added. At the Middlebury Natural Foods Coop they have added a new electronic monitoring system at the entrance. This helps to effectively limit the store to 35 customers (max) at any one time. Customers are encouraged to help out by noticing this new system & pay attention to whether it's OK to enter or to wait. It's really cool.
Quote of the day!
"It Feels So Good! I think the staff appreciate the reset as well. It seems to have given them a breath of fresh air."
-Lauren, owner BBP on Spring cleaning with the crew
A big thank you to all who have already shared your data.
VT Food Manufacturers:
BE COUNTED 
Share your DSD sales with the local food tracking project. We seek to capture changed shopping habits during covid. See the email address in the top banner
Product Highlights

Birdhous Farm & VT Pierogis located in Barton, is a co-working landscape for farmers, artists & entrepreneurs. The proceeds from the sale of pierogis are circled back to their program designed to help ensure the future of farming is ethical, sustainable, & delicious.

The pierogis are handmade with loads of VT ingredients including potatoes from Bear Roots Farm & they are selling like crazy at The Roots Farm Market in Middlesex & Commodities in Stowe. The pierogis are sold in food service & retail pack sizes & delivered DSD. They are non-GMO & made with free range eggs in small batches. Wholesale inquiries are encouraged!

Sherpa Foods has been getting a lot of buzz lately! And for good reason; read the latest on the expansive growth of their dumplings & sauces in a recent Seven Days story.

You may have noticed, Global Village Foods did a rebranding with new packaging in 2020. There are five brand new packages for their five bold, delicious allergy-friendly African meals. Their range of products come in retail & food service pack sizes. Bulk samosa's are sold thorough Associate Buyers & DSD, selling super well in prepared foods departments as grab & go. If you are looking to support BIPOC owned business, choose Global Village Foods to round out your frozen food & grab & go offerings.
Trucking, Distribution & Data

4.2 million Americans hold CDL commercial licenses allowing them to drive weights over 26,000 pounds & moving 70 % of commercial freight.

It's a $700 billion industry moving
55 billion pounds of "stuff" every day.
That includes all our solo operators as well as national truckers moving our food system along.

When we do our local food count, it comes down to how much of the 70 billion dollars can be connected to Vermont's food system.

Whether one or two trucks like Pumpkin Village Foods & Lesser Distribution or Performance Food Group the second largest food distributor in the country running multiple trucks, all have an impact on making VT food more accessible to every kind of buyer.

Ready to help us know the impact of the 7 billion dollar industry? Request your sales data form by emailing localfoodcount2020@vsjf.org

New production & shipping space available in Burlington June 30th.
This new production spot is perfect for small producers. Find all the details about this convenient, collaborative space with the folks at Garuka Bars.
History says switchel has been part of the farming community for over 200 years. Cool & refreshing during long days prepping soil or even longer days haying in the hot sun. VT Switchel is an easy grab & go to expand your VT beverages. Available to stores & farmstands through Pumpkin Village Foods. Perfect for farmstands looking to expand product selection & especially good for offering at PYO operations.
Calling all farmers with DSD & Farm stores

Let's fill in the gaps of on farm sales in 2020 for the statewide tracking project. Your DSD , CSA & online sales matter. Be part of the 2020 count! See the email address in the top banner

VAAFM has not announced the reinstatement of the Farmers Market Scale Testing which was cancelled a year ago.

Common Roots Farm in South Burlington has expanded their product offerings by working with Pumpkin Village Foods, a local distributor. Do you have a retail farmstand/store looking for VT products? Seth & his team can help guide you with popular products like  Stony Pond Farm Cheese, VT Soy Tofu, Local Sweet Soda, All Souls Tortilleria to help increase sales. Find other PVF products here.
Harlow Farm Stand in Westminster is beginning to crank for the busy spring season with fresh farm products & bedding plants. It's expected to be a super busy year at farmstands.
Be ready with a farmstand audit!
Farm to Plate Strategic Plan

The Plan contains a vision for Vermont's food system in 2030, 15 strategic goals with 87 objectives, & recommendations for action. It is based on a series of 54 food system product, market, & issue briefs highlighting current conditions, bottlenecks & gaps, opportunities, & recommendations. Explore the extensive collection of Briefs or dig into the one on Tax & Legal Services.
Learn about co-packing with Vermont Specialty Food Association in a webinar, April 21st from 1-2:00. Help grow your food business with an insiders look to scaling.
Vermont Fresh Network supporting farms & food producers with chefs & food buyers. In these times, it is worth supporting VFN with all their great work.
VAAFM has a weekly e-news of info & resources-it's not just for farmers. Sign up here to receive issues directly to your inbox.