By Lissa Harris
As we reflect on ten years of Food Connects, we’re inspired by the growth our Food Hub has undergone. But the Food Hub wasn’t always a Food Connects program. So, how did the Food Connects Food Hub come to be? Here’s part one of the history of the Food Connects Food Hub.
In 2009, Hans Estrin, a former high school biology teacher, left his job at Putney School to co-found the Windham Farm and Food Network (WFF). He managed orders over the Internet and, using a truck borrowed from Harlow Farm, delivered farm goods from farms to some 35 schools, hospitals, co-ops, and other institutions in the area. In that first year, WFF sold $10,000 in local food.
A year later, UVM Extension supported the growth of WWF, and sales reached $50,000 with new small producers. Distribution was managed through a “just-in-time” model, where food was picked up and delivered on the same day. The organization operated on a “lean and green operating model,” where the driver also coordinated the distribution. Producers managed their inventory online, and in 2011 WWF bought $75,000 from local food producers to distribute to the community.
Eventually, WWF became part of the local non-profit Post Oil Solutions, with Richard Berkfield at the helm, managing sales, distribution coordination, driving, and accounting. WFF had 27 producers and customers and sold almost $200,000 in local food to schools, hospitals, co-ops, and other institutions. Monadnock Menus (MM), a small start-up, modeled WFF’s business model to cover the Monadnock region of New Hampshire. They made their first deliveries in 2013, borrowing a truck from Harlow Farm and adopting the “just-in-time” delivery model. Food Connects Driver Tracy Lake remembers those early days when he was a driver for both WWF and MM. "It was both stressful and satisfying to have so many irons in the fire in those early days,” Tracy remarked. “And the vintage and condition of the trucks we had didn't help matters! Kind of amazing we managed as well as we did.”
In 2013, Food Connects was born, eventually absorbing WWF and MM. Initially, operations were break-even, but demand was strong, and soon Food Connects could buy its first refrigerated truck and hire a full-time Manager.
By 2018, Food Connects’ growth and expansion were well underway, having raised $250,000 for capital, adding a sales manager, and purchasing another refrigerated truck. Revenue increased by 25% to over $400,000. Storage demands increased so much that Food Connects moved into The Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation’s Business Park building on Putney Road. The warehouse consisted of mostly dry storage space. The just-in-time delivery model was still the priority, but as demand rose, the need for more storage, especially frozen storage, became critical.
What did Food Connects do to meet the rising demand for local and regionally-sourced foods in our area? Stay tuned for part two of our Food Hub’s history!