Farm-to-Plate Summits Have Local Focus
by Nancy Wood

What is a food system? That question was asked at the beginning of eight Food Summits held recently around the state. Farms, gardens, food processors, slaughter houses, farmers markets, distributors, supermarkets, restaurants – the audience contributed many answers demonstrating the complexity of the system and their specific interests. A cross-section of producers and consumers, individual and institutional, totaling over 800 people came to the summits to share their interests and concerns about the future of farming and food security in Vermont.
Suzy Hodgson attended the Chittenden County summit in Milton because of her interest in the energy aspects of agriculture. “Buying local benefits all… there is less transportation, reducing energy inputs.” Suzy is the co-chair of the Charlotte Energy Committee and also serves on the Conservation Commission. Bob Hyams, chair of the Conservation Commission, also attended because of the conservation perspective. “Pasture and grassland are a natural resource that we haven’t paid a lot of attention to. It is becoming fragmented; much of it is in corn, hay or buckthorn. We need to do better.”
The 2009 Legislature authorized and funded Farm-to-Plate to identify the opportunities and gaps in Vermont’s agriculture sector and to develop a ten-year strategic plan. The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund will carry out the project and report back to the Legislature in 2010. Charlotte resident Kit Perkins is the Farm-to-Plate project coordinator. For more information go to vsjf.org.