Product, Market, and Issue Briefs

What Came Up: Persistent Themes

The following are themes that arose repeatedly during the development process: in brief prioritization meetings, the public comment periods, and in recommendations across multiple briefs.

Housing

New Hampshire is facing a housing crisis that affects farmers, fishermen, food industry laborers, and consumers. The demand for land often pits food system advocates against housing advocates. The shortage of affordable housing in the state exacerbates a shrinking workforce and the high cost of housing diverts the amount of disposable income people have to purchase local food. There are solutions at the intersection of both challenges that need to be explored and enacted. 

Briefs with relevant recommendations: Farmland Conservation, Access, & Succession; Fruits & Vegetables; Labor & Workforce; Land Use Planning; Supporting Future & Beginning Farmers

Food Processing

Food processing is a crucial part of our modern food system and necessary for scaling up and regionalizing the food system. In New England and New Hampshire, it is even more important to extend the short growing season and support small farms typical to the area.  There are significant gaps in the middle of the supply chain that limit profitability for farmers, fishermen, and food producers, resulting in significantly more wasted food, higher production costs, and/or missed opportunities to reach wholesale markets.  

Briefs with relevant recommendations: Value-Added Processing & Co-Manufacturing; Seafood; Dairy; Nutrition Access & Security; Meat & Eggs; Institutional Markets

Farmland Protection

Farmland and agricultural soils are the basis of one of our few basic needs as a species: the food we eat. New Hampshire has lost 80% of its farmland over the last 60 years. Without a reversal of that trend, true food security and resilience are not possible. 

Briefs with relevant recommendations: Farmland Conservation, Access, & Succession; Land Use Planning; Production Techniques for Sustainable Ecosystems; Soil & Water

Access to Funding

There are many federal, regional, state, and local funding opportunities to help farmers and food producers invest in their businesses. But understanding and applying for these opportunities is onerous and technically challenging, while grant writing and development support in New Hampshire is extremely limited. Improving access to that funding would transform the ability of our farms and food businesses to invest in their futures. 

Briefs with relevant recommendations: Meat & Eggs; Other Products; Production Techniques for Sustainable Ecosystems

Climate Resilience

The climate is changing and causing increasingly extreme weather events that affect both our food supply from outside the state and our ability to produce food locally. Our food system must build resilience and adaptability given the ever-evolving and impactful nature of climate change through research, funding, and other support.

Briefs with relevant recommendations: Climate Resilience & Disaster Relief; Fruits & Vegetables; Production Techniques for Sustainable Ecosystems

Valuing and Accessing Local Food

In order for our farm, fish, and food businesses to be viable, Granite Staters, individual consumers and businesses alike, need to value local food, and be able to easily identify and find it.

Briefs with relevant recommendations: Agritourism; Dairy; Direct-to-Consumer & Consumer Education; Food Hubs & Collaborative Marketing; Restaurants; Seafood; Labor & Workforce; Other Products; Production Techniques for Sustainable Ecosystems