Building Professional Support for Institutional Purchasing - Buy Local Campaign Programs

2004 Annual Report for ENE04-087

Project Type: Professional Development Program
Funds awarded in 2004: $124,376.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2006
Matching Non-Federal Funds: $15,761.00
Region: Northeast
State: Massachusetts
Project Leader:
Kathryn Ruhf
Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group

Building Professional Support for Institutional Purchasing - Buy Local Campaign Programs

Summary

This program is building the capacity of 100 Northeast Cooperative Extension Agents and sustainable agricultural professionals to assist farmers, food service directors, student groups, faculty, and others in the development of institutional purchasing and ‘buy local’ campaign projects. Agricultural professionals trained in the nuts and bolts of these types of projects can play an important role in catalyzing these initiatives, increasing their odds of success, and ultimately improving the economic viability of farmers in their region. We are producing a training manual, conducting eight professional development workshops, and providing technical assistance to participants who will implement action plans.

Objectives/Performance Targets

Of the 100 Extension and other agricultural professionals who participate in the first training workshop, 70 will demonstrate increased knowledge and skills to facilitate and foster institutional purchasing and/or buy local campaign projects. Sixty four per cent of those will initiate, assist with or participate in such projects.

Accomplishments/Milestones

We have completed the training manual. We have nearly met our first milestone of “one hundred agriculture professionals will attend workshop #1”. We have held three of four scheduled workshops, with a total of approximately 70 participants. Of these, about 75% indicate interest or commitment to participating in the rest of the project.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

Although we are in the early phase of the project, the participants in the first set of workshops indicated, based on pre- and post-workshop surveys, that they gained valuable information about institutional purchasing and buy local campaigns and that they feel more prepared to lead or assist with an institutional purchasing or buy local campaign project.

Collaborators:

Heather House

heather@pasafarming.org
Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agricultu
114 W. Main Street
Box 419
Milheim, PA 16854
Office Phone: 8143498956
Joani Walsh

joani@foodroutes.org
Program Coordinator
FoodRoutes Network
P.O. Box 443
Milheim, PA 16854
Office Phone: 8143496000
Website: www.foodroutes.org
Les Hulcoop

ch7@cornell.edu
Extension Educator
Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County
2715 Route 44 #1
Millbrook, NY 12545
Office Phone: 845677822313
Annie Cheatham

annie@buylocalfood.org
Executive Director
Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture
1 Sugarloaf Street
2nd Floor
South Deerfield, MA 01373
Office Phone: 4136657100
Website: www.buylocalfood.com
Michael Siegel

Farm and Granary
NY
Kristen Markley

kristen@foodsecurity.org
Farm to College Program Manager
Community Food Security Coalition
Markley Lane
PO Box 109
Beaver Springs, PA 17812
Office Phone: 5706582265
Website: www.foodsecurity.org
Jack Duff

farmer
Blackberry Meadows Farm
PA
Anne Carter

akcarter@pssci.umass.edu
University of MA Extension
201 Natural Resources Way
UMass
Amherst, MA 01003
Office Phone: 4135455216