The document summarizes a summit held in Connecticut to discuss strategies for improving the state's local food system. It describes four breakout sessions that identified key barriers and opportunities related to nurturing farmers, distribution networks, affordability/accessibility, and ensuring long-term sustainability. Participants voted on the most important issues, with developing a centralized information hub and creating a blueprint for Connecticut receiving the most interest. The goal was to engage stakeholders in collaborative problem solving to address challenges through a statewide food alliance.

1.
Connecticut Food System Alliance Summit
Tuesday, September 28th
2010, The Studio @ Billings Forge, Hartford, CT
The goal of this summit was to gather a diverse mix of experienced stakeholders dedicated to positive
change to Connecticut’s local food system for an open discussion focused on key barriers and
innovative strategies, with an emphasis on areas of reform with broad potential impact.
BREAKOUT SESSION NOTES
Four breakout session topics were structured to engage Connecticut change agents in collaboratively
identifying key opportunities that will most benefit from being addressed by a statewide food system
alliance. To wrap up the summit, attendees indicated those barriers or opportunities they were most
interested in addressing as a group. Votes are noted in red below; those receiving the greatest amount
of interest are also bold.
Breakout Session Topic: Nurturing Farmers
Description: Given the high demand for local products, coupled with the deep need for Connecticut
farmers, what are the existing programs and opportunities that nurture farmers in a sustainable
manner? What else is needed?
Facilitators: Bill Duesing, CT NOFA and Annie Farrell, Millstone Farm
Barriers
• Labor (2)
o Training (2)
o Finding housing
o Regulations
o Insurance (health insurance)
• Land: cost of (1)
o Investment to build farming infrastructure
o Zoning – easements, permits, agreements, legal, etc
• Ag infrastructure
o Slaughter
o Depot/Distribution
o Feed stores
o Equipment and repair
• Capital- How to get it?
o Business plan advice (P&L, etc)
• Info access to Central
Opportunities
• Education (2)
o Agro education
o Community farms

2. o Craft program
o WWOOF
• Land links – needs tweaking (land trusts, etc.) (6)
• Grass roots farmer groups (2)
• NOFA, etc.
Low hanging
• Co-Packers (Kingston)
• Growers groups- HV/VT (2)
• VOAG programs (5)
• Farmer Training Programs (3)
Breakout Session Topic: Institutional and Retail Distribution
Description: The potential for increased sustainable and effective farm-to-institution and farm-fresh-
retail networks in Connecticut.
Facilitator: John Turenne, Sustainable Food Systems
Short-Term
• Centralized/Information Hub (8)
o Relationship Management
o Broker
• Leveraging existing small and large for-profit distributors
o Better infrastructure
o Variety of choice
o Ordering/Billing
Mid-Term
• Create a regional distribution co. (1)
Long-Term
• Expanding CSAs to year-round
• Contract growing (3)
• Producers co-op distribution and processing (6)
• Non-profit producers = lower cost to buyers
Breakout Session Topic: Affordability/Accessibility
Description: Leveraging existing resources to increase affordability and accessibility of the full range
of CT Grown products to consumers.
Facilitators: Nicole Berube, CitySeed and Arthur Lerner, F.R.E.S.H. New London
Key Opportunities
1. Basic food skills (cooking and growing) (5)
2. Coalescing resources to support farming (existing and new) –land trusts, WLA, etc; national
service; youth, grants, consumers, etc. (2)
3. Encouraging “contract growing” and institutional markets (9)
4. Utilize existing voices (buyctgrown and Dept. of Ag) to increase visibility to increase demand

3. 5. Using existing food policy councils (and others) to advocate for buying local food for state
and municipal institutions (9)
Breakout Session Topic: Group Sustainability and Continuity
Description: Identifying a feasible approach to building connectivity on a statewide level through key
focus areas.
Facilitators: Jiff Martin, American Farmland Trust and Cristina Sandolo, Wholesome Wave
Working Group (4)
• Volunteer
• In-kind
• Finite time
Info/Input Gathering
• Consumer, farmers, key players (2)
• Listening sessions/focus groups (1)
• Regionally
• Research from universities
Goal?
• Blueprint CT (11)
• Policy/policies- state level, new governor (1)
• Informal network? – parties (3)
• Resource sharing – buy CT Grown (1)
Structure
• University partnerships / Collaboration (4)
• Funding
• Who else?
This
event
was
sponsored
by: