Success Stories from the Field | NESAWG

We are excited to share with you our compiled success stories from across the northeast region. These stories highlight how state and federal programs support farmers, fishermen, food entrepreneurs, and eaters to advance sustainable, equitable food systems in the Northeast.

The stories in this collection underscore the value in a diverse, nimble food system; our small-scale, locally-rooted organizations and hardworking family farmers have shown their ability to pivot, adapt, and rise to the occasion in meeting their communities’ needs in such a challenging year.

Together, they answer the important question: How can we work together to advance a food system that allows all of our communities to obtain the resources, nourishment, and support they need to thrive?

Through funding, programs, and state policy, we are asking state decision makers to support the following priorities:

  • Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) producers, distributors, and organizations 
  • Beginning farmers and farmland transition
  • Small-scale, diversified, and sustainable farms
  • Food sovereignty, food security, and health for all communities
  • Climate mitigation, resilience, and adaptation led by those on frontlines
  • A robust and thriving Northeast seafood sector

These stories were a collaborative effort of the following organizations: American Farmland Trust, Bumbleroot Farm, Community Food Funders, Cooperative Development Institute, Farm Fresh Rhode Island, Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming, Grow Pittsburgh, Hartford Food System/CT Food System Alliance, The John Merck Fund, Land For Good, Liberty Gardens, Maine Farmland Trust, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, New Entry Sustainable Farming Project, New Roots Cooperative Farm, Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, Pasa Sustainable Agriculture, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Public Health Solutions, Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, and West Side Grows.

2020 Success Stories:

Leading the Way for Immigrant Entrepreneurs With a Farm Cooperative

Essential Businesses Continue to Feed Their Neighbors and Support Farmers 

Boosting Urban Farmers Through Shared Infrastructure

Innovating New Sales Models to Meet New Demands

Shifting Priorities to Address Food Disparities

Combining Many Tools Helps Local Farmers Thrive

Bringing the Whole Community to Community Supported Agriculture

Farmers and Policymakers Work Together to Combat Climate Change

Community Garden Steps Up to Meet New Need for Emergency Food

Rapid Response Business Assistance Helps Fit the Pieces Together

Equity in Pandemic Aid for Farmers and Food Businesses

Northeast Region Leads in Both Threats to Farmland and Proactive Policy Responses

Supporting Beginning Farmers and the Agri-Preneurial Ecosystem Through Research and Education Projects

Conservation Programs: Spotlight on Racial Equity

Read the PDF version of the 2021 report here

Read the success stories from 2018  and the ones from 2019