Capital roots farm-to-institution program addresses the lack of connectivity between small-scale producers desire to sell their products to institutional customers and the desire of institutions to…

This $624,715 federal Project Grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service under the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (CFDA 10.175) supports the Capital Roots Farm-to-Institution Program. This program aims to address the lack of connectivity between small-scale producers and institutional customers by locating appropriately sized markets and increasing access to quality local food for underserved communities.

The grant will enable Capital Roots to significantly expand its role as a producer-to-consumer intermediary in New York's Capital Region. Key activities include: purchasing produce directly from up to 50 regional farmers at competitive prices, offering the food to 20 small-scale institutions and 10 schools serving primarily underserved communities at an affordable cost, and increasing total local produce procurement by 5-fold to over 1.1 million pounds per year. This comprehensive approach supports rural agricultural economies while providing higher quality, nutritional food to underserved urban areas.

Capital roots farm-to-institution program addresses the lack of connectivity between small-scale producers desire to sell their products to institutional customers and the desire of institutions to purchase local food. Working with producers in the capital regions food system, we will locate appropriately sized markets and increase access to quality food for institutional partners who serve underserved communities. This combination of services provides vital economic and social development to often overlooked communities and businesses. Through capital roots food hub, our farm-to-institution program can purchase produce directly from regional farmers at competitive pricing while offering IT to institutions at a cost that they can consistently afford. Capital roots farm-to-institution program fills the fresh food GAP, occupying a unique niche within the capital region by exclusively focusing on fresh local food, thus providing higher quality, nutritional value and taste to underserved community members and vital support to rural agricultural economies. With a new 4,000 square foot food hub, capital roots is poised to significantly expand its role as a producer-to-consumer intermediary in new yorks capital region.capital roots has enlisted five agricultural producers as collaborators- offering sales marketing opportunities- and six institutions schools who will purchase fresh food for primarily underserved communities. With program expansion capital roots will support the operation of up to 50-plus farms and food operations in the 11-county capital region foodshed and 20 small-scale institutions and 10 schools. Capital roots will partner with brighterside up to connect with regional childcare centers to increase consumption of local fresh food. Capital roots will increase its procurement of local farm products by 5-fold and provide small-scale institutions and schools up to 1,100,000 pounds of local produce per year.