With autumn in full swing, many of us are out in the orchards for prime apple picking and flocking to local farmers markets for the all the late summer to autumn crops. As we enjoy the crisp fall weather and all the fresh food the harvest season has to offer, we are also supporting New Hampshire’s local food system.
In the Northeast and across the country, there is strong and growing demand for locally produced food. Industry estimates show that local food sales have increased rapidly from $5 billion in 2008 to at least $12 billion in 2014 – and experts anticipate that value to hit $20 billion by 2019.
As consumers continue to crave a closer connection to their food, USDA and the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food are focused on linking producers to this new market, expanding economic opportunities for small businesses, and increasing access to healthy foods.
Local and regional food systems are critical to help rural communities grow and thrive – which is why USDA considers it to be one of the four pillars of agriculture and rural economic development.
To better understand the opportunities and challenges local farmers face in tapping into their local market, USDA is visiting New Hampshire this week to discuss the progress we’ve seen and hear how future leaders can continue to support local food systems for producers and consumers alike.
New Hampshire has a number of resources for producers and small businesses – but many people aren’t aware of the federal programs that are available as well. Over the course of the last eight years, USDA has devoted considerable energy to supporting communities’ local food strategies through an effort called “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food.” Between 2009 and 2015, USDA has invested over $1 billion in more than 40,000 local and regional food businesses and infrastructure projects.
In New Hampshire alone, USDA has supported local producers in a number of ways, from providing more than $1.9 million in financing through our Microloan Program to supporting the construction of 376 high tunnels from 2010-2015.
New Hampshire is also home to nearly 100 farmers markets that provide a venue for consumers to obtain fresh, healthy, locally produced food throughout the state. USDA’s Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program awarded more than $680,000 in grants in New Hampshire over the past eight years. Just last year, the Nashua Regional Planning Commission received a Farmers Market Promotion Program grant to increase the number of vendors at the Nashua Farmers Markets and explore the possibility of a winter operation and a mobile market to serve a wider community.
In 2014, Miles Smith Farm in Loudon used a Local Food Promotion Program grant that resulted in five local businesses buying beef from five area farmers, serving more than 25,000 pounds of locally raised beef in the community and increasing farmers’ income.
While there are great success stories in New Hampshire, that doesn’t mean there aren’t significant challenges. We will sit down with some of the state’s dairy producers who are experiencing hardship due to market conditions. New Hampshire’s farmers have also faced severe drought conditions this season.
Recently, USDA announced two surplus purchase offers to increase demand for dairy products in addition to $11.2 million in payments through our Dairy Margin Protection Program and $7 billion in safety net payments due to market downturns. For producers challenged by falling prices and weather disasters, USDA will seek to strengthen safety net programs to help farmers in tough times.
The strong local and regional food systems in the Northeast are a bright spot for New Hampshire agriculture. Supporting domestic markets for local food drives job growth in agriculture and food processing and marketing, increases entrepreneurship in rural communities, and expands food access and choice.
This week, we are excited to lay the groundwork for the next administration to ensure that the future leaders have the tools they need to build on the success we’ve seen in New Hampshire and that our federal-state partnership remains strong.
(Elanor Starmer is the agricultural marketing service administrator for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Lorraine Merrill is the New Hampshire commissioner of agriculture.)