Eastern shore entrepreneurship center INC. Will establish a replicable model for facilitating increased local food sales between institutions and farmers

This project will focus on equipping both farmers and institutions with the necessary tools and strategies to engage in largerscale transactions aligning with relevant state legislation and leveraging funding. The projects core activities will include the development of institutional demand plans the identification and support of interested farmers the coordination of sales to meet these plans and the longterm documentation of the value chain processes. Twenty institutions will commit to purchasing food directly from local farmers potentially impacting approximately 120000 university students 200000 K12 students 4000 patients and institutional employees. Four distributors and food hubs will incorporate local farmers into their supply chains and twenty farmers are expected to realize increased wholesale revenues. These collaborative efforts will connect farmers with significant consumer populations resulting in increased access to locally produced agricultural products. The project anticipates supporting a network of stakeholders including farmers processors and distributors strengthening the local food system.