This quarter's Monadnock Food Co-op Producer E-Newsletter highlights winter opportunities to cultivate more viable businesses, environmental stewardship, and a stronger local economy movement.

Are you looking for other opportunities not listed below? Feel free to reach out with your questions and feedback.

Yours locally,

Jen Risley

Monadnock Food Co-op Community Coordinator

The Local Crowd Monadnock Program Manager

Photo: Cedar Circle Farm and Education Center, East Thetford, VT. By Cecily Anderson. Part of Vital Communities Climate Farmer Stories, a USDA-funded project to promote the positive role farming plays in climate and community resilience, involving farmers and artists from the Upper Valley region. Learn more and apply to the 2023 cohort.

The Monadnock Food Co-op Farm Fund program, in partnership with the Cheshire County Conservation District, is now accepting applications from local farmers. This fund supports the viability of farm businesses, farmland protection, and the stewardship of natural resources that farmers provide. Since 2017, our Farm Fund has awarded over $119,000 in grants to eighteen local farms. Join our virtual info session to learn more about the Farm Fund, hear about past projects, and get your questions answered. Learn more about the Monadnock Food Co-op Farm Fund.

SAVE THE DATE: Our Co-op plans to hold an in-person Grower's Meeting on February 8 at 3 pm. Connect with our Produce and Prepared Foods departments to review the previous year's growing season. Discuss areas for improvement and solutions for supporting more local farms and producers in the future.

The Co-op's Meat & Seafood Manager, Travis Keith, will reach out to all local meat producers he has on file to set up a one-on-one meeting to review and renew relationships. Not actively connected to our Meat & Seafood department? Reach out to him at ms@monadnockfood.coop or 603-283-5417 to schedule a meeting.

Sign-up for Speed Trading, a matchmaking event connecting New England food producers with wholesale buyers. This is an associated panel to the Local Food Trade Show put on by the Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts as a part of their Boston Local Food Programs. The sign-up deadline is January 11.

This grant provides funding for infrastructure investments for local farmers and meat and poultry processing facilities to increase the capacity and efficiencies of the meat and poultry processing industry within the state. The program aims to alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 on the local meat and poultry processing industry by supporting increased capacity, labor-saving efficiencies, and encouraging value-added products through capital investments and other related infrastructure improvements.

MPIP will award up to $750,000 through a competitive review process. The maximum award will be $200,000, and the minimum will be $1,000. There will be one round of funding. Proposals are due by 4:00 pm on January 27, 2023.

Both housing and agriculture require access to land, and real estate is expensive. Ownership is out of reach for many members of our community, which limits people’s ability to find homes or farmland successfully, build secure futures, and access other opportunities. However, new models of ownership are emerging that offer hope. Each webinar will feature presenters with exciting examples of both housing and agriculture initiatives.

Monadnock Farm and Community Coalition, Vital Communities, and the Farm Strong NH invite farmers to connect, catch up, and develop relationships with other farmers in the region. Led by a facilitator offering prompts to kickstart the conversation, this event is a chance to share stories and experiences and meet new people you can stay in touch with over the coming months. The event concludes with an overview of the services that Farm Strong NH can provide to NH farmers.

While New England has a robust agricultural sector, many folks find that farm work can be isolating, especially during a pandemic. That isolation can cut farmers off from the information, resources, and camaraderie that can help them cope with an important and fulfilling but also stressful and demanding profession. The past several years have highlighted the benefit of farmers coming together and making connections.

Join NOFA-NH at Southern NH University in Manchester for over 25 in-person workshops and panels focused on sharing expertise, filling our toolkits, and building community resilience, including a special keynote address from Mark & Kristin Kimball of the Essex Farm Institute. An online track will be available for those unable to attend in person. NOFA/MOFGA Members save 20% on registration. In Person: $80 NOFA/MOFGA, $100 Not-yet members; Online: $50 NOFA/MOFGA, $65 Not-yet members. Scholarship tickets are available for those in need; please email winterconference@nofanh.org.

Promote the positive role your farm plays in climate resilience while connecting with fellow farmers as we change the story about farming and climate change in the Upper Valley. Climate Farmer Stories is a project to promote the critical role farming plays in climate and community resilience, involving farmers and artists from the region. Farms produce more than food – let’s share that story!

Farms selected for this cohort will gather for farm tours and activities, receive 10 hours of marketing assistance, art/sound story materials for their farm by local artists, and $3,000 for marketing activities. You will reach new customers through our traveling Climate Farmer Stories exhibit and help educate the public on the value of ecological farming.

Does it matter where your farm is? Some cohort meetings will be in person next winter at a location within the Vital Communities service area. Check the map and if you are willing to travel to those locations, you should apply!

The 10 NH Conservation Districts are excited to announce an opportunity to improve your farm's resilience through a climate adaptation or mitigation project! We encourage you to apply for the second round of the New Hampshire Conservation Districts Climate Resilience Grant. Applications are due on February 1, 2023.

We invite local growers and producers to partner with independent businesses nationwide to promote the inaugural Shop Indie Sustainable campaign in March. We want to inspire our communities to support locally owned businesses that are B Corps, cooperatives, and other triple-bottom-line enterprises. It's free to sign on as a partner.

The Sullivan Country Store, reopening in the new year, is putting out a call for CSA farms! Owners Megan and Will are seeking CSA farms who may want to include the store as a pick-up location for their CSA shares. The Sullivan Country Store is located at 140 Route 9 in Sullivan NH. If interested, or have questions or ideas for collaborations, please reach out to sullivancountrystore@gmail.com.

Thanks to support from an NH Champions of Agriculture grant, MFCC developed a new “Monadnock Grown” label and branding campaign. This campaign will help consumers identify Monadnock-grown products offered at grocery outlets and farm stores and better educate the public about farm business names and associated products.

Ready to begin selling (or selling more) to Monadnock Food Co-op? Please reach out directly to Store Manager Stephanie Wright at 603-355-8008 or storemanager@monadnockfood.coop to set up a time to meet with her and any relevant department buyers or share feedback.