Farm to Institution New England - FINE

05/26/2026

Are you considering applying but not sure if it's a good fit? FINE can help answer your questions, and connect projects with partners. Contact Tania at [email protected]

The 2026 New England Food Vision Prize is offering prizes of $25,000 to $100,000 for projects that build resiliency, relationships, and capacity within New England's educational institution food supply chain.

Read more about the Prize at the Henry P. Kendall Foundation's website: kendall.org/our-work/food-vision-prize

05/08/2026

We're coming to Vermont!

That's right FINE Friends, for the first time in FINE's history, we are bringing the F2iSummit to Vermont!

Every two years, the Northeast Farm to Institution Summit brings together food system leaders from across the region to spark ideas, build partnerships, share resources and skills, and strengthen our collective impact. More than 500 farmers, food service directors, distributors, educators, and advocates gather to do this work in person — and leave ready to act.


Save the Date:

Northeast Farm to Institution Summit
April 14-16, 2027
Burlington, Vermont


We are particularly excited to announce our event partnership with the Vermont Farm to School and Early Childhood Network. This partnership will allow us to highlight the amazing work happening across Vermont, and amplify farm to school and early childhood programming while continuing to create robust cross-sector opportunities for carceral, health care, and campus institutional value chains.

Next up? We'll be announcing the Call for Proposals soon — we'd love to hear your ideas for workshops and presentations.

Head to www.f2isummit.org and subscribe for updates.

Shelburne Farms Vermont FEED (Food Education Every Day)

03/03/2026

🫐 How can school food systems better nourish kids and reduce waste?
On March 11 (12–1 pm ET), hear from researchers and school nutrition partners working to unlock the full potential of school food systems in Maine.

🫐 In a largely rural state, Maine schools are a vital community food resource, providing daily nutrition to some of the most vulnerable members of our communities: children. Yet Maine school cafeterias generate over 7 million pounds of food waste each year, much of it nutritious fruits and vegetables. That’s both a challenge and an opportunity.

🫐 Join us for “Unlocking the Full Potential of School Food Systems,” a webinar highlighting research and on-the-ground solutions developed with Maine school nutrition directors and their communities. The Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions at the University of Maine has been working alongside schools on food waste prevention programs that improve nutrition outcomes while reducing waste. Speakers will share what’s working, lessons learned, and practical strategies you can adapt in your own school or district.

🌟 Susanne Lee, Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions , University of Maine
🌟 William Brenneman, MA student, University of Maine

🥕 Hosted by Farm to Institution New England (FINE).
Free. Virtual. Recording provided to all who register:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/En3dEMvBSUi_TG7BfU_gMg

02/12/2026

A great opportunity!

02/03/2026

🥦 What does it take to sustain local food sourcing over the long haul?
On February 11 (12–1 pm ET), hear from chefs, culinary leaders, and regional partners at the forefront of Bon Appétit’s local sourcing work in the Northeast.

🥦 Drawing on insights from their white paper, "Sowing Success: Local Food Purchasing Insights from 25 Years of the Farm to Fork Program," this webinar explores how large institutions have built and sustained successful local sourcing programs over decades. We’ll dig into the role of relationship-building, culinary creativity and flexibility, and strategies for sourcing ingredients available year-round.

🥦 Join us for “Sowing Success at Bon Appétit: Local Sourcing and Lessons Learned,” a panel conversation featuring firsthand stories from regional foodsheds. Speakers will share strategies for adapting sourcing efforts to local contexts, navigating ongoing challenges, and advancing supplier diversity—while highlighting long-term partnerships that connect institutions with flavorful, regionally grown food. Attendees will take away actionable insights to deepen their own local purchasing initiatives.

🌟 Elise Dudley, Regional Sustainability & Food Education, Bon Appétit Management Company
🌟 Ty Paup, Regional Director of Culinary Operations, Bon Appétit Management Company
🌟 Shira Kaufman, Local Sourcing Specialist, Bon Appétit Management Company
🌟 Jonathan Cambra, Culinary Director, Roger Williams University
🌟 Dawn Sajdyk, Resident District Manager, Emerson College
🌟 Alex Drumm, Executive Chef, Emerson College

🥕 Hosted by Farm to Institution New England (FINE).
Free. Virtual. Recording provided to all who register:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/L4d0aP4XSXumFTTnZOv_bg

01/12/2026

🥣 Can prisons and jails source more local food? On January 14 (12–1 pm ET) hear from experts on findings from their new research.

🥣 While schools and hospitals have made progress in sourcing local food, meals in prisons and jails remain among the least healthy and least connected to regional food systems. Yet Departments of Correction are among the largest food purchasers in many states, with potential to generate stable, values-based markets for regional producers.

🥣 Join us for "Farm to Facility: Increasing Local Food in New England Prisons," where we explore findings gleaned from interviews with all six New England Departments of Correction, as well as food hubs and producers. Results appear in "Nourishing Justice: A Feasibility Study for Farm to Corrections Work in New England," a two-year USDA-funded project led by Farm to Institution New England - FINE, Impact Justice, and partners. We'll share key findings and recommendations for policy, purchasing, matchmaking, and career pathways to help bring nourishing, regionally grown food into correctional facilities.

🌟 Britt Florio, Farm to Institution New England - FINE
🌟 Leslie Soble, Impact Justice
🌟 Moderated by Daniel Rosen, Coalition for Carceral Nutrition

🥕 Hosted by Farm to Institution New England - FINE .
Free. Virtual. Recording provided to all who register:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/GUfZ32fTT1qgjUMYnVJ1KA

12/02/2025

🐐 Care farms are transforming what community care can look like. On December 17, 2025 (12–1pm ET), you’ll get to meet some of the leaders behind this movement.

🐐 Across the country, farms are becoming places of healing, belonging, and meaningful work. They blend therapeutic farming practices with social care, skill-building, and supportive employment, and many are building innovative models that also serve institutions as customers.

🐐 Join us for “Care Farming: Farming for Healing and Inclusive Community-Building,” a conversation with three people shaping what this field can be:

🌟 Kate Mudge, Care Farming Network
🌟 Caroline Croft Estay, Vertical Harvest Farms
🌟 Rachel Gillis, Cape Abilities

🐐 They’ll share how their models work, what inspired them, the challenges they’ve overcome, and what’s possible when farms are designed as deeply supportive, inclusive spaces.

🥕 Hosted by Farm to Institution New England & the Care Farming Network
Free. Virtual. Recording provided to all who register:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Ad4H7q8YQaG4qnls0VqOvA

11/12/2025

🫛 Want to hear what's been happening in Boston's local food procurement?

🫛 Register now for "From Intention to Action: Building Strategies for Sustained Local Food Procurement" https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/SSQAkZgjROyGxCwcPksgHQ

🫛And tune in on November 18, 2025 at Noon to hear from these amazing presenters:

🌟 Lexie Raczka, Boston University Dining Services
🌟 Kerry Kokkinogenis, Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts
🌟 Sabrina Pashtan, Boston Public Schools BPS Eats

Setting goals for local procurement in schools, colleges and universities, is often the “easy” first step. Without realistic targets, strategic planning, engagement from all team members, and clear measures of success, goals may not turn into action. Presenters will share the challenges faced in getting local foods into institutions, and explore what it takes – beyond the best intentions. They will explore their hard-earned lessons learned through a combined 20+ years of experiences in connecting institutions with local food.

🥕 Hosted by yours truly, Farm to Institution New England - FINE, this is the first in our "Voices of the Network" webinar series which brings stories of resilience, belonging, partnership, and innovation across our region and along the farm to institution value chain.

🥕 Free. Virtual. Register for each to make sure you receive the recordings.

https://www.farmtoinstitution.org/voices-of-the-network-webinar-series

Spread the FINE word!

10/23/2025

Brought to you by Farm to Institution New England (FINE), the "Voices of the Network: 2025–2026 Farm to Institution Webinar Series" brings stories of resilience, belonging, partnership, and innovation across our region and along the farm to institution value chain.

Topics include food waste in schools, farming for inclusion and healing, sustainable procurement, food justice in carceral settings, and more.

This free, virtual series celebrates the bounty of farm to institution work in New England and strengthens our collective efforts toward a just and resilient food system. Recordings will be available.

➡️ November 18, 2025: From Intention to Action: Building Strategies for Sustained Local Food Procurement
Boston University Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts

➡️ December 17, 2025: Care Farming: Farming for Healing and Inclusive Community-Building
Cape Abilities Care Farming Network Vertical Harvest Farms

➡️ January 14, 2026: Farm to Facility: Increasing Local Food in New England Prisons
Farm to Institution New England - FINE Impact Justice

➡️ February 11, 2026: Sowing Success at Bon Appétit: Local Sourcing and Lessons Learned
Bon Appétit Management Company

➡️ March 11, 2026: Unlocking the Full Potential of School Food Systems
University of Maine Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions

🥕 Reserve Your Spot! 🥕 https://www.farmtoinstitution.org/voices-of-the-network-webinar-series

About this Webinar Series Brought to you by Farm to Institution New England, this webinar series brings stories of resilience, belonging, partnership, and innovation across our region and along the farm to institution value chain. Join to hear from a range of network members focusing on a diversity....

09/09/2025

👀 FINE's Network Advisory Council Member Lihlani Nelson shares about this great collaborative work!

On September 16, 1-2 p.m., CAFS is hosting a webinar designed for procurement officers, government legal teams, food service directors, policy advocates, and institutional leaders to discuss food contracting strategies to increase the amount of locally grown food served in public institutions.

CAFS research affiliate Amanda Karls and Deputy Director and Senior Researcher Lihlani Nelson will walk through some of the details of a recently published CAFS guide for public sector procurement teams on optimizing their food distributor contracting processes to focus on local food. Participants will also hear firsthand insights, including challenges and lessons learned from the field, from Brittany Peats of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry.

Join us! Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_M7NK2z0jRuqFc6qS8TEYrA