UNH Leading the Way on New Hampshire’s First-Ever Food System Strategic Plan

The goal of the NH Food and Agriculture Strategic Plan - the first comprehensive food system-focused document of its kind in the Granite State - is not just to educate New Hampshire residents about locally grown and caught food. It's to make them players in the game.

The strategic plan, an effort of the NH Food Alliance, a food system-focused community outreach program of the Sustainability Institute at UNH, and the NH Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food, is designed to provide a holistic view of the state's agricultural and seafood industries and establish a roadmap for continued growth and stability in both sectors.

But to be effective, says Nicole Cardwell, program director of the NH Food Alliance, it can't just be an esoteric publication. So the leaders of the project are taking on the role of coach, empowering those embedded in the New Hampshire food community to become quarterbacks.

"I keep thinking of it as a playbook. That's been our focus from day one. If we're going to ask everyone to come together and put their limited time and energy into this, how do we make it tangible? How do we walk away with some really clear steps?," Cardwell says. "Can we raise up some key priorities in certain areas in a way that helps people in positions of authority actually create change when they have the opportunity to?"

To that end, the strategic plan is designed to align the food community, and those who want to strengthen it, behind concrete guidance by streamlining the ability to obtain funding, pass beneficial legislation, develop programs, invest in infrastructure and build networks in support of a thriving, fair and sustainable local food system in the state.

Experts at UNH and other food system organizations have been tapped to develop the document in support of farmers, fishermen and consumers. It will feature 27 informational briefs that closely examine the products, markets and issues pivotal to creating a thriving food system in New Hampshire.

Each brief will address a specific topic, like climate resilience, meat production or food literacy, and will offer specific recommendations needed to address related challenges.  Authors for each brief are experts in their field, representing 89 organizations and businesses from across the state. 

"The briefs will have current conditions, opportunities and challenges. But the key part is they'll also have recommendations - what are the three-to-five really specific things we can do to improve upon this area or address this issue?," Cardwell says.

The NH Food Alliance is inviting the public to get involved in the planning process by providing feedback on the product, market and issue briefs during the open comment periods, which will be staggered between now and December. Those interested can browse through the brief open comment period calendar on the NH Food Alliance website.

"This project is an excellent representation of UNH's public university mission and our strategic priority to build collaborations that support New Hampshire's economy and quality of life, sustainability and resilience and to be a trusted, valuable and consistent partner," said Fiona Wilson, executive director of UNH's Sustainability Institute. 

The NH Food Alliance, was founded in 2013 to serve as a "statewide network of people, businesses, organizations and communities dedicated to growing a thriving, fair, and sustainable local food system in the Granite State." That network was more than 220 organizations strong at last count, Cardwell says.

Among the focus areas for the NH Food Alliance are increasing farmland conservation and access, supporting local farm, fish and food businesses and improving food security and local food access.

The focus on supporting New Hampshire farmers and improving access to local food are a significant part of the strategic plan project. There will be content centered around finding ways to make it easier to identify New Hampshire grown food in grocery stores, strengthening the connection between residents and local farmers and food producers, as well as content aimed at ensuring the continued viability of farmers' markets in New Hampshire communities.

Those Granite State communities remain the driving force behind the entire strategic plan process, and Cardwell and her partners on the project are proud to be able to bring UNH's expertise to an endeavor aimed at improving lives in the state.

"It's a great honor that the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food commissioned us with this project, that they trusted us to lead this process," Cardwell says. "Leading it from within UNH makes it possible for us to simultaneously tap expertise within the university and bring in the rest of the state in a meaningful way. From the start, this project has felt beautifully aligned with UNH's mission to embrace New Hampshire and bolster efforts underway across the state."

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