successful state & regional collaborations. who am i? joy nowak ●program manager of northeast...
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Successful State & Regional Collaborations
Who am I?
JOY NOWAK
● Program Manager of Northeast Harvest○ Buy Local program - Essex and Middlesex counties of
Massachusetts● Administrator, Topsfield Fair
○ Oldest continuously running agricultural fair in America since 1818
What is Northeast Harvest?
Northeast Harvest is a Buy Local program representing Essex and Middlesex counties supported by the Essex Agricultural Society. Northeast Harvest works to help sustain the farmers and agricultural producers of both counties in Massachusetts. We work in collaboration with many other organizations as well as individual growers and agricultural producers to highlight the number and variety of farms and food products that are available in northeastern Massachusetts.
What We Do: GRANTS
GRANTS● EBT Grants
■ Partnered with the USDA to provide 5 farmers’ markets with EBT machines
● Website Grants
● Field Trip “Scholarships”
What We Do: GRANTS
GRANTS● EBT Grants
● Website Grants■ Offered $1,000 matching
grants to farmers who wished to either build a new website or improve an existing site.
● Field Trip “Scholarships”
What We Do: GRANTS
GRANTS● EBT Grants
● Website Grants
● Field Trip “Scholarships”■ Awarded 5 teachers from
Middlesex County with $1,000 “scholarships” to bring their students to local farms.
What We Do: AG DAY
STUDENT AG DAYBring schools from low-income communities for an all-day field trip where they learn about various agricultural topics from local farmers, gardeners, and agricultural enthusiasts!
What We Do: AG DAY
STUDENT AG DAY
What We Do: AG DAY
STUDENT AG DAY
What We Do: AG DAY
STUDENT AG DAY
What We Do: CONFERENCE
ANNUAL AG CONFERENCE● An all-day conference for local farmers where we discuss
various topics.
What We Do: CONFERENCE
ANNUAL AG CONFERENCE
What We Do: CONFERENCE
ANNUAL AG CONFERENCE
What We Do: WEBSITE
WEBSITEProvides a central location for consumers, farmers, and farmers market managers to find information and resources regarding local agriculture.
What We Do: FARM MAP
FARM MAPMap of all the local farms and farmers’ markets, including their contact information and often a list of products they offer.
What We Do: CALENDAR
EVENT CALENDARShows consumers about the various events going on at local farms, giving them the opportunity to go out and support their local farmers!
What We Do: NEWSLETTER
E-NEWSLETTERMonthly e-newsletter keeps consumers engaged in the agricultural market by reminding them about upcoming events, crops that are currently in-season, and other related news.
What We Do: FEEDBACK
FEEDBACKNortheast Harvest collects feedback from all possible resources, in an effort to explore which initiatives are most (and least) effective.
What We Do: FEEDBACK
FEEDBACK
We asked farmers to select the training topics/resources they were interested in, and the top five results were:
Networking with other farmers 42.30%
Setting Prices 38.50%
Web Design / Promotion 34.60%
Social Media 30.80%
General Marketing 30.80%
Statewide & Regional Collaborations
WHO’S COLLABORATING?There are 9 Buy Local Organizations in Massachusetts.
Statewide & Regional Collaborations
WHY COLLABORATE?Despite sharing the same goals, each Buy Local organization has a unique set of skills, events, and programs, which are ideal for concept sharing.
Statewide & Regional Collaborations
COMMUNICATIONConstantly communicating via email
Monthly statewide conference calls.
Annual “State Ag Day” at the State House.
Annual face-to-face meeting with all of the Buy Local programs statewide.
Statewide & Regional Collaborations
GRANT PARTICIPATIONAlthough Northeast Harvest provides Grants to many organizations and businesses, participating in other group’s grants has proved to be an invaluable experience.
● Dairy Grants
● Specialty Crop Grants
● Beginning Farmer Grants