Producer Spotlight: Terra Nova Coffee
If you wander slightly off of Main Street in Keene, NH, you will find a a small Roastery and Espresso Bar attached to an antique store. This hip little space, a hidden gem for many locals, is home to Terra Nova Coffee. Now owned by Jeff and Eliza Murphy, Terra Nova Coffee is a staple of many residents frequenting the Brewbakers Cafe on Main Street.
Terra Nova Coffee is unique in that it is one of the few 100% USDA Organic and ethically-sourced coffee roasters in New England. “We are able to track every bean all the way back to the origin, which includes USDA certification in our facility, but also to international organic certifications at the source,” says Jeff Murphy. “What makes us unique though, is the people behind the product. This includes every hand along the supply chain, and most directly—our passionate team of roasters and baristas. We roast in small batches in our beautiful manual roaster in our tasting room where we customers are able to sample any of our coffees via pour over or our custom La Marzocco espresso machine.”
Jeff particularly loves their single origin Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, with its complex floral, tea, and blueberry notes. But he finds that he has different "favorites" throughout the year. “Coffee origins can change from lot to lot based on growing conditions each season. It's always exciting to cup new lots and experience these variances and adjust our processes to best suit their profiles.” And if you want to try something a little different, Jeff recommends the delicious espresso blend in their Vanilla Cardamom Latte with local Manning Hill Farm milk.
Choosing to be part of the downtown Keene community and selling locally is important to Jeff. “Downtown Keene is a special place. I am amazed every year how many visitors we see coming from around the country, and around the world to experience our quintessential downtown. It is beautiful and unique, and we have a culture in Keene of support for existing and new businesses that operate in our growing footprint of downtown. It is the partnership between our citizens, businesses, and city officials that has really fortified downtown Keene as a key point in our local economy. We are excited for the growth and development that is slated in the coming years in Keene!”
Jeff not only sells locally, but buys locally as well. As a downtown business, he knows how important it is to support his friends and neighbors. “The local food movement and economy is important to me because it is what makes our region unique and special. By supporting local businesses; you are supporting your neighbors, helping to create jobs, reducing our carbon footprint, and supporting a strong network that can not be replaced by giant corporations or Amazon. The local food movement is important to me because fresh and direct is always best! I love interacting with our local farms and producers; learning about their processes and seeing behind the scenes of their work, knowing that our support goes directly to local families and individuals.”
“Being a small business owner wearing many hats every day,” says Jeff. “I have found Food Connects to be a valuable partner. They have helped us reach out to dozens of new customers by identifying potential sales channels, distributing samples, and marketing assets. Our wholesale customer base has grown throughout our time with Food Connects, and with two weekly deliveries we are able to get product to our customers quickly and maintain the freshness that we can stand behind.”
We are excited to continue to grow with Terra Nova. Be sure to stop in to one of their locations next time your are in Keene to meet the unique people behind the coffee. And keep an eye out for their seasonal Fireside Blend to hit the shelves this holiday season!
November 2019 Food Hub Flyer
Food Connects Favorites: Free Verse Farm
RICHARD’S FAVORITE: FREE VERSE FARM
HERBES DE VERMONT
Buying local food is important to the work that we do. But almost just as important is its preparation! And that’s where Free Verse Farm comes in.
Located in Chelsea, Vermont, Free Verse Farm joined the Food Connects in early 2019. It is a beautiful Vermont farm perched on another beautiful hillside overlooking forests and valleys. And its your farming family working hard to raise a livelihood from the land. Owned by Taylor and Misha, artists and farmers, Free Verse Farm is small herb farm and apothecary specializing in naturally-grown tisanes (herbal teas), culinary herbs, medicinals, and herbal remedies.
One of their great products of their Herbes de Vermont, a popular culinary herb blend made with freshly dried herbs from their farm. It had a great depth of flavor to a variety of savory meals—in particular savory pancakes, meats, and grilled chicken.
I like how take the “Herbes de Provence” concept and creatively adapt it to Vermont. Its taking the idea of “terroir,” which is implicit here with so many great local products, and making it explicit, more like in Europe. I think its something that more local food consumers need to embrace and help local producers promote more.
Want to learn more about the farm? Check out their Producer Spotlight!
Meet Our New Operations & Fleet Coordinator—Nathanael Matthiesen
Join Food Connects in welcoming Nathanael Matthiesen to the Food Hub Team. Nathanael is our new Operations and Fleet Coordinator, responsible for delivering orders, assisting with IT, and overseeing and maintaining the Food Hubs growing fleet of vehicles.
Nathanael comes to Food Connects from the Brattleboro Food Co-op and is very interested Food Connect’s mission. “As a small farmer myself, I have been particularly excited about the Food Hub, which is doing indispensable work for local agriculture in our region,” says Nathanael. “I am extremely excited to be a part of the Food Connects team, as it dovetails perfectly with my other endeavors in life, and I am proud to be involved with an organization that is making a difference in my local community. We have a great team and I am looking forward to being a part of the Food Hub’s growth and future success. I know we are already a model for the state of Vermont and I am glad to play a part.”
As a local farmer Nathanael is invested in the local food movement for a myriad of reasons:
“As someone who studied large-scale economic systems, it became apparent to me that something about our system is broken. Although the issues cannot be parsed down to one root cause, I believe that local, sustainable agriculture is of paramount importance to solving our larger environmental and economic issues.
Aside from the environmental and economic impact of local food, food brings people and communities together and fosters a sense of place, identity, and shared history. In a world where we are increasingly disconnected and distanced from our neighbors, local food provides an opportunity to build bridges and connections. It also ensures that dollars remain local and keeps small towns thriving instead of repatriating capital to far-flung regions of the country and even world.
Additionally, the local food movement is providing innovative solutions and alternatives to the severe health issues that our society is facing in the wake of the so-called Green Revolution, Big Ag’s dominance, and the pervasiveness of processed, GMO, and pesticide laden food.”
Nathanael is already out on the road making deliveries!
And Nathanael is very excited to grow with us. “I believe that Food Connects will continue to be a model for the state and region and I foresee growth of the Food Hub, as well as the more mission-based work of the organization. I am excited to be a part of this growth as the Food Hub enters a new phase in a new physical space, and couldn’t be more proud to play a part in making a difference for our region. Working here is a natural extension of my interests and experience, and I hope that I can offer the organization the experience and insight that I have gleaned over the years as a farmer and someone who has studied these issues from a more academic perspective in the past.”
Nathanael spends most of his time outside of Food Connects working on his small farm and spending time with his wife and two year-old son. When he does have time outside of that he enjoys tinkering with machines and computers, photography, music and collecting vinyl records, hiking and generally being outdoors. In the recent past, he was an avid rock-climber, and looks forward to getting back into the sport in the future.
Nathanael’s favorite food is pizza! “Although I am dedicated to local food, I have a secret inclination to foods that aren’t good for me. You can’t change everything at once, right?” When he was little, he wanted to be a race car driver or teacher, but we are glad he ended up working with us!
Be sure to say hi to Nathanael when he delivers local food to you!
Producer Spotlight: Mycoterra Farm
It’s time to meet one of our newest producers—Mycoterra Farm! Founded by Julia Coffey, Mycoterra Farm is a mushroom farm in South Deerfield, MA. All of their mushrooms are handcrafted in small batches and picked fresh for delivery. And boy, are they delicious!
Something really unique about Mycoterra Farm is that they are a woman-owned and women-run operation. They are also Certified Organic and operate at a unique mid-level scale. “We produce year round indoors in small batches” says Julia. “We also maintain our own culture library and produce all of our own spawn in house.“
With all the different varieties to grow, it is hard for us to pick a favorite. “I absolutely adore shiitake. While we grow more ‘exotic’ species, shiitake are our most popular product for a reason. They are known for their umami taste, they act as a natural flavor enhancer for any dish.”
Producing great food is important to what Julia does at Mycoterra Farm but her work goes beyond that. “We farm to feed people. We feel like it makes sense to start at home and to extend outwards into the community. It’s important to have connections with you neighbors, community, farmers, customers. We thrive on being anchored in an abundant and fruitful local web.“
“Food Connects is vibrant and up and coming with a ton of potential. We are thrilled for the new reach and connections our relationship will build.” And we are excited to work with Mycoterra! Food Connects is fortunate to have such a great local food champion in our family.
October 2019 Food Hub Flyer
Producer Spotlight: Vermont Salumi
There is a certain artistry when it comes to handmade charcuterie and Peter Roscini Colman, founder of Vermont Salumi, has it down to a science. Pete grew up on Cate Farm, a pioneer of Vermont's organic movement and spent summers in Umbria with his family. Through his family connections studied under famed butchers who taught him the methods, techniques, and centuries-old traditions of salumi-making.
Vermont Salumi the first company in Vermont to produce traditional Italian salami and sausage and Pete takes pride in his work, “I really enjoy each of the products we produce, if I don't like it, I don't make it!” And one bite of their Proscuitto Cuto will have you convinced.
But even with roots aboard selling his products locally it of the utmost importance to Pete. “The local food economy elevates the quality of food I eat and it keeps our dollars in the state supporting our neighbors. Food Connects helps us reach a new thriving customer base that we didn't have access to previously.”
And for the future of Vermont Salumi? “We are working on opening a new retail store front in Barre, Vermont—along with a slew of new products. We'll keep you posted!”
Our Food Hub Hits Record Sales Growth
The cooler jam-packed with local food!
Thanks to the support of our customers and tireless work of our producers, the Food Hub is growing—and growing quickly! Between July and the end of September, Food Connects sold and transported $202,100 of local food. That means FC sales grew 60% over the previous quarter, and 61% over the same period in 2018. Our largest sales week totaled $19,055, which represents a 46% increase over our strongest week in 2018. Since this time last year, we have added 16 new producers to our regular catalog. Items from those new producers accounted for sales of more than $36,000 in Q3 and $60,000 in 2019 to-date.
While our small-but-mighty staff hustles to move more and more weekly orders, we are laying the groundwork for future growth. In Q3, among other projects, we:
bought a second refrigerated van for our delivery fleet;
added an Operations Coordinator position;
saw our cooler/freezer facility construction project nearing completion;
began transitioning online sales to a new platform;
and launched a new delivery route to the Mt. Sunapee area in New Hampshire.
New cooler, mid construction.
The next two quarters will be no less busy. In October, we will finally move 100% of our operations into our new Brattleboro facility, where we’ll be able to handle, store, and care for products to the highest possible standards, and where we’ll have the space to continue this year’s rate of growth into 2020 and beyond. In Q4, we’ll begin regular routes to the Pioneer Valley, to the Upper Valley, and all the way to Burlington. With these new routes, Food Connects will tap into areas that have never before been served by a wholesale food hub. We’ll also access new products for our catalog, so that all our customers can enjoy an even broader selection of the exceptional foods this region has to offer.
Food Connects Favorites: Liebe Bavarian Style Quark
Food Connects works with so many amazing producers, offering such a wide variety of great products, it is sometimes hard to pick out something new to try. So we are introducing Food Connects Favorites—a blog to highlight some of our staff’s favorite products.
JULICIA’S FAVORITE: LIEBE BARVARIAN STYLE QUARK
STRAWBERRY KISS
It’s back to school time for schools across the U.S. We see yogurts galore flying off the shelves and filling up the lunchboxes of students heading back to school. They’re even great for a mid-work snack. So why don’t you try something different and have some Liebe Bavarian Style Quark produced by Commonwealth Dairy, or more commonly known as Green Mountain Creamery, located in Brattleboro, VT.
What I love about this product not only taste great, but it great for you. It is rich in proteins and probiotics and has limited sugar and no artificial colors or flavors. This particular product contains two types of healthy bacteria that are great for you, unlike traditional yogurts that contain one.
If the healthy bit doesn’t convince you, the flavor will. It’s sweet, creamy, and hits the spot. If you like Greek yogurt I would recommend you try Liebe. It’s very similar to Greek yogurt but is thicker and creamier—it kind of reminds me of a cheesecake that you don’t have to feel guilty eating for breakfast.
I am a busy lady, always on the go and this product helps me keep up with that life-style. It’s great on the go breakfast item for me. I usually will just eat it as is or add it into my morning smoothies. This product has become a delicious part of my morning routine.
Shop our online market today to order your quark!
September 2019 Food Hub Flyer
Producer Spotlight: Picadilly Farm
If you haven’t already, we recommend visiting Picadilly Farm in Winchester, NH. Owned and operated by Bruce and Jenny Wooster, Picadilly Farm is nestled among the fields and hills of southwestern New Hampshire, right along the Vermont and Massachusetts borders. For the past 14 years, the farm has grown certified organic produce for the region.
Known for their delicious produce, Picadilly boasts a CSA following of over 1,000 households. The land was a dairy farm for several generations and the farmers who lived here before the Woosters moved next door when they retired. “They come over and get a Picadilly Farm share with us—it's been a rich relationship!” says Jenny. Community connections are important for local farms to thrive and Picadilly is no exception. The Farm Fund through the Monadnock Food Co-op and Cheshire County Conservation District awarded Picadilly Farm a grant to add a 25-foot long storage space that accommodates another 18,000 – 20,000 pounds of root crops due to
“We are a big-little farm—big enough to hire a sizeable seasonal crew and have fleet of trucks and tractors, but too small to supply the grocery chains,” says Jenny. “We rely on a diversity of crops, rather than specializing in a handful. We've tried out a range of agricultural ventures, from laying hens, to turkeys, to winter greens. These days, Bruce is dabbling in growing popcorn commercially—we'll see! "Picadilly Popcorn" has a nice ring to it.”
Staying small allows them to focus on local customers. “Locally is the only way we want to sell. Our work is as much about relationships as it is about the products we offer. Locally oriented customers are at the heart of the success and sustainability of our farm.” Picadilly Farm not only sells produce through Food Connects, but buys it as well. “It's super convenient to work with Food Connects as both a grower, and as a buyer for our small farm stand. Growing for a local market means weaving together lots and lots of relationships, and often it means filling lots and lots of small orders. Consolidation through Food Connects is an obvious win, as we can reach more buyers in our region.”
With so many products it might be hard to choose a favorite. Jenny is a fan of growing, harvesting, selling, and eating the orange crops—cantaloupes, sweet potatoes, and fall carrots top her list. So what are you waiting for? Try out some of this great, local produce today!
Food Connects Partners with the NH Food Bank
Food Connects is partnering with the New Hampshire Food Bank, a program of Catholic Charities NH, to bring local produce to food pantries throughout New Hampshire.
This spring, the New Hampshire Food Bank received a grant totaling $25,000 from Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation to provide local produce to food pantries in the Monadnock and Upper Valley regions of New Hampshire. The NH Food Bank partnered with Food Connects, based out of Brattleboro, VT, on the procurement and distribution of this farm fresh product. Food Connects delivers local food to schools, hospitals, restaurants, and grocery stores from a large network of regional farmers and producers.
With Food Connects’ established delivery infrastructure in the Food Bank’s target areas, the partnership between the two organizations provided multiple deliveries of fresh fruits and vegetables to 9 New Hampshire food pantries, including LISTEN Food Pantry, the Jaffrey Food Pantry, the Community Kitchen of Keene, and the Upper Valley Senior Center, serving more than 8,829 people. According to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap, 1 in 9 individuals and 12 percent of children in NH struggle with hunger. Both Food Connects and the NH Food Bank prioritize increasing access to local food throughout their communities.
“Fresh produce is so critical to people’s health, yet often one of the hardest things for us to get our hands on,” says Angela Zhang, Program Services Director for LISTEN Community Services located in Lebanon, NH. “We can’t stress enough how thrilled people were to get such a variety of delicious fruits and vegetables—the strawberries and blueberries were especially a hit! It’s a welcome change from canned and dried goods. They were all snapped up in just two days!”
Scott Berzofsky, Food Hub Operations Coordinator, delivering fresh produce to LISTEN Community Services.
In the first round of deliveries, the grant funds allowed the food pantries to purchase over 30 locally produced products including 120 pounds of cucumbers, 240 pounds of ground beef, and 100 bunches of beets along with peppers, tomatoes, squash, yogurt, and cheese. This food not only feeds local community members but supports local farmers and producers—in fact, over 20 different producers in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts benefited from the partnership.
“We are really excited to partner with the NH Food Bank on this project!” says McKenna Hayes, Food Connects’ Operations Manager. “We know this is a traditionally under-served demographic and we sometimes have difficulty reaching them through our regular delivery locations. Everyone should have access to fresh produce, and we’re really lucky that we get to provide the aggregation and distribution services to help make that a reality this season. We look forward to expanding this program and continuing to partner with the NH Food Bank.”
“The New Hampshire Food Bank is proud to partner with Food Connects in providing these funds to get more fresh, nutritious food to those in need in western New Hampshire,” said Eileen Liponis, Executive Director of the New Hampshire Food Bank. “Eating nutritious food, including more fresh fruits and vegetables, is the first step toward improving on one’s health.”
August 2019 Food Hub Flyer
Producer Spotlight: Abenaki Springs Farm
Abenaki Springs Farm started in 1997. Focusing on diversity and aerodynamic principles, the farm aims to create healthy, nutrient dense food that can resist disease and pests naturally, stores well, and tastes great. The farm is located in Walpole, NH, just above the old Abenaki Springs, which was once the sacred water supply to the Abenaki Tribe. They grow on high mineral, well drained soil with many natural springs surrounding the farm. They believe this helps attain a more nutrient dense product—in addition to their growing practices which include crop rotation and seasonal diversity.
The farm is currently owned by Bruce Bickford and managed by Kirsten Anderson. Kristen noted that they have different favorite products for different parts of the season. “Our favorite spring crop is bok choy and chinese cabbage. In the summer, we love growing melons, tomatoes, onions, and shallots. In the fall, we love winter squash, potatoes, leeks, and carrots. Each season is fleeting, and we love to savor and appreciate everything we can.”
To them, local food is paramount and they recognize the importance of small scale farms sustaining their local communities. “It is critical for the community, the economy, the land, and the farmers. We are committed to providing a high quality product grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides for our community.”
Abenaki Springs Farm is new to Food Connects. “We have appreciated the opportunity to broaden our customer base. It gives us the chance to sell items we may not otherwise be able to sell. We're very grateful to have a food hub that is committed to distributing locally grown food!”
Want to be more involved with the farm? Volunteers are always welcome to help weed in the field! A recent study showed that volunteering is the key to happiness. Or you can visit them at the Farmers’ Market of Keene. More details regarding their winter CSAs will be available on their website soon. Additionally they have a PYO flower garden, which is new this year, along with a small roadside farm stand.
July 2019 Food Hub Flyer
Producer Spotlight: Milkweed Farm
At Food Connects, we’re fortunate to work with both small-scale and large-scale producers. This allows us to not only have diversity in our products, but also in the producers we support. One farm we are proud to support is Milkweed Farm.
Jonah Mossberg owns and operates Milkweed Farm, a diversified vegetable and flower farm in Guilford, Vermont. Milkweed Farm is also a queer owned and operated business—which is core to how Jonah farms and how his farm business engages with the community. He is committed to using low and no-till practices on the farm both as a way to support soil biology and health and to reduce the farm's carbon footprint.
Jonah grows over 40 varieties of vegetables on the farm. He produces value-added fermented vegetables for sale at local farmers’ markets such as kimchi and loves growing ingredients for those—“nothing makes me happier than a good patch of Napa Cabbage and Daikon radish.” He is also an aspiring flower farmer and love growing blooms—the queen red lime Zinnia and broom corn are some of his favorites.
For Jonah farming is about more than just growing food. Agriculture is a way to engage with the people in his direct community.
“Food and farming are lenses that we can all put on to look at our world and to see how we might make things a little better. As a farmer, I choose to use my farm as a way to collaborate with other local businesses as a way to keep our local economy strong. Keeping food that I grow in my community also means that I get to feed people that I know, and feed them well. I wouldn't have it any other way.”
The farm also donates to local food shelves regularly, as well as local organizations working across many social justice issues, hosts educational groups, and stands strongly in solidarity with justice based movements across Vermont.
“Selling through the Food Connects Food Hub allows my farm to connect with local businesses that I otherwise wouldn't have access to. As a new farmer, this has been elemental in growing my business. Because Food Connects takes care of the marketing, invoicing, and transportation of my products I get to spend more time doing what I love, growing food, and less time out of the field finding buyers for my food. It is a win-win."
Milkweed Farm has multiple CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) options, including a growing Fermentation CSA where members get value-added fermented goods. You can also purchase Jonah’s products at the Saturday Brattleboro Farmers’ Market or the Sunday Putney Farmer's’ Market.
Want to lend a hand to Milkweed Farm? Currently Jonah farms on leased land and is searching for a permanent land base for his farm operation in Windham County—ideally 3-5 acres (or more!) of flat, farmable ground, with good southerly exposure and water access. Outbuildings and a house are a bonus. If you know of any land or information that could help Jonah, please send him an e-mail!
Food Connects Favorites: Dutton Berry Farm
Food Connects works with so many amazing producers, offering such a wide variety of great products, it is sometimes hard to pick out something new to try. So we are introducing Food Connects Favorites—a blog to highlight some of our staff’s favorite products.
KAREN’S FAVORITE: DUTTON BERRY FARM
STRAWBERRIES
Summer in New England means super fresh and local strawberries. Whether you pick your own or stop by your local co-op, that burst of sweet, juicy flavor is a telltale sign that summer is officially here. And Dutton Berry Farm in Newfane, VT has you covered with plenty of nature’s candy in stock!
I am a long time fan of their berries, they are sweet and delicious. Plus I love going to pick them myself! Strawberries are one of my favorite summertime snack—just give me a pint and I will be a happy camper. Not only are they good for munching, but I also love to add them to a fresh salad.
As a avid baker, I love to use Dutton’s strawberries in my desserts. I add them to muffins and breads for a sweeter flavor and frequently use them in pies. And my husband just can’t get enough of them!
I have to admit though, I love all strawberries. When I was a pre-teen, I loved strawberries so much, I tried to convince my parents to change my name!
Growing Our Food Hub
At Food Connects we pride ourselves in our ability to provide locally produced food to our communities, connecting our farmers and customers. Our unique position in our community’s food systems didn’t happen overnight—it took care and nurturing. We are now at a point in our operations where we need to sow extra seeds to ensure our continued growth.
Since the start of 2019, we have added 12 producers network, allowing us to diversify our products and support economic growth in our region. These producers include Queen’s Greens, Kitchen Garden Farm, Frisky Cow Gelato, MacLennan Farm, Abenaki Springs Farm, and others. Coupled with the work of our other producers, our second quarter sales increased by 45% as compared to 2018.
Additionally, we’ve welcomed two new staff members to our Food Hub team. Julicia, our Sales Manager, joins us with a strong background in agricultural development and brings fresh energy and perspective imperative to growing our customer base and supporting producers in new ways. Scott is our Food Hub Operations Coordinator. He fills a much-needed role, assisting with warehouse development, order picking, and deliveries around southern Vermont and New Hampshire. We’re also expanding our delivery fleet, purchasing a second refrigerated van, allowing us to be more nimble in our deliveries to our rural customers.
In the coming months, we’re excited to launch our new online ordering platform, Local Food Marketplace. This switch is necessary for increasing our operational efficiencies and customer responsiveness while providing a user-friendly interface for both customers, producers, and ourselves! Additionally, this platform is photo-based, allowing customers to see what the product looks like prior to purchase.
Lastly, and most importantly, we’re building a 1,000 square-foot cooler and freezer facility adjacent to our offices at the BDCC (Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation) Business Park. This will level up our operational efficiencies, increase storage space, and allow us to bring on new producers and continue to expand our customer base.
It’s exciting to leverage these new opportunities into continued growth as we look to sustain this growth. This expanded iteration of our Food Hub will continue to support our vision of healthy families, thriving farms, and connected communities.
Meet Our New Operations Coordinator—Scott Berzofsky
Food Connects extends a warm welcome to Scott Berzofsky, our new Food Hub Operations Coordinator. Residing in Putney, VT, Scott has worked to promote food justice and support local food systems for over a decade, most recently as the co-owner of Avenue Grocery in Brattleboro.
From 2007 to 2010, Scott helped found a community garden on a vacant lot in East Baltimore; By leveraging grant funding and grass-roots organizing, they engaged community members in the initiative so that it grew to be self-sustaining. Scott also worked on Calvert’s Gift Farm, a small organic farm in Baltimore County as part of a program through the University of Maryland Cooperative Extension focused on apprenticing younger generations.
At his core, Scott is an artist, organizer, and educator. He taught courses in the Sustainability & Social Practice Concentration at the Maryland Institute College of Art and holds a Master of Science in Art, Culture, and Technology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Scott recognizes the intersection of the arts and food. “Both are about aesthetics—our senses. And how we experience the world,” says Scott. “Food is the way most people connect to the natural world and local food systems are critical for creating healthy and sustainable communities. I’m excited to work at Food Connects to help build a strong local food system and increase food justice and access to healthy food.”
“We are so psyched to have Scott on board,” says McKenna, Food Hub Operations Manager. “Scott brings with him many meaningful relationships with local farmers, producers, and customers in our region. Coupled with his passion for social justice and local food systems, I know he is a valuable asset to our team.”
So what are Scott’s fun facts? He and his partner have a newborn, he loves Vietnamese food and all the amazing Mexican restaurants in the Brattleboro area, and fondly remembers spending Christmases with his Norwegian grandmother dancing and singing around a Christmas tree in the center of the living room. Welcome Scott!