Recommendations

Recommendation Type of Action Brief Topic Goal
Create collaborative partnerships between existing farm business technical service providers
Recommended partnerships and collaborations are between UNH Extension, the NH Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food, NOFA-NH, NH Farm Bureau,…
Coordination/Network development or support Farm Business Technical Assistance Farm, Fish, & Food Business Viability
Engage all farmers to create inclusive disaster response policies
Small-scale, minority, and marginalized farmers should be sought out and included in the development of disaster response policies to ensure their…
Policy/Regulation Climate Resilience & Disaster Relief Equity & Justice, Farm, Fish, & Food Business Viability
Better coordinate the state’s response and communication in a disaster event
Coordination can occur in the following ways or areas: Expand opportunities for learning and practicing disaster preparedness skills in schools, 4-H…
Program creation, support, or expansion, Coordination/Network development or support Climate Resilience & Disaster Relief Equity & Justice, Nutrition & Access
Provide grant assistance for farmers to secure funding for climate resilience
Fund staffing positions to assist farmers in developing climate resilience plans, identifying resources, and securing funding. Craft a uniform…
Resource/tool creation, support or expansion, Program creation, support, or expansion, Investment/Funding Climate Resilience & Disaster Relief Natural Resources & Climate
Perform multi-area research on climate impacts to support farmers in adaptation
Research climate impacts on water, soil, pests, animal management, the effects of heat on human health, and applied climate research on farming…
Program creation, support, or expansion, Research/Study Climate Resilience & Disaster Relief Local Food Economy, Natural Resources & Climate
Dedicate funds for UNH to provide water, soil, and pest testing services and technical assistance.
Program creation, support, or expansion, Investment/Funding Climate Resilience & Disaster Relief Natural Resources & Climate
Secure permanent funding for the NH Conservation Districts’ Climate Resilience Grant program
Funding for the Climate Resilience Grant program, which provides farmers with grants to invest in climate mitigation and adaptation strategies on…
Program creation, support, or expansion, Investment/Funding Climate Resilience & Disaster Relief Natural Resources & Climate
Develop business coaching provider training programs specific to farm and food businesses
Develop or enlist expertise, like the Hirshberg Entrepreneurship Institute, for business coaching provider training programs to help them understand…
Program creation, support, or expansion, Investment/Funding Access to Capital Equity & Justice, Farm, Fish, & Food Business Viability
Develop allocations for farm and food businesses to access low-cost financing
Explore opportunities for state, federal, and private funders and investors to develop allocations or reduce administrative burdens for farm and food…
Investment/Funding Access to Capital Farm, Fish, & Food Business Viability
Provide farms and food businesses financial incentives through state policy
Develop state policy that provides farms and food businesses with tax exemptions and abatements, start-up funds and incentives, business technical…
Investment/Funding, Policy/Regulation Access to Capital Farm, Fish, & Food Business Viability
Increase flexible lending practices and policies for farms and food businesses
Bring together public and private financiers to instill more flexibility in lending practices and policies for farms and food businesses.
Coordination/Network development or support, Investment/Funding Access to Capital Farm, Fish, & Food Business Viability
Conduct research to demonstrate the investment value of the food system
Unlock public and private financing and investment by supporting research that details the state and value of the New Hampshire food system through…
Investment/Funding, Research/Study Access to Capital Local Food Economy, Natural Resources & Climate, Nutrition & Access
Produce consumer marketing to promote local food as a community issue
This marketing should emphasize the benefits of local food to personal health, local economies, the quality and freshness of local products, and the…
Program creation, support, or expansion Restaurants Engagement & Education
Analyze and develop a distribution system for New Hampshire food products
Conduct a distribution analysis to identify existing infrastructure and distribution routes in the state and identify opportunities for further…
Coordination/Network development or support, Research/Study Restaurants Farm, Fish, & Food Business Viability, Nutrition & Access
Host annual local sourcing educational match-making events for restaurants and farms
Fund the NH Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food and a non-profit partner to design and host annual educational and matchmaking events around…
Program creation, support, or expansion, Coordination/Network development or support, Investment/Funding Restaurants Farm, Fish, & Food Business Viability, Nutrition & Access
Create a wholesale farm-to-restaurant website and communication system
Create a central website and communication system for wholesale farm-to-restaurant sales that displays farm location, product availability and…
Resource/tool creation, support or expansion, Coordination/Network development or support Restaurants Farm, Fish, & Food Business Viability, Nutrition & Access
Create an advisory board to increase restaurants sourcing local ingredients
Create an advisory board or legislative commission, housed in the NH Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food, to support and advocate for…
Program creation, support, or expansion, Policy/Regulation Restaurants Farm, Fish, & Food Business Viability, Nutrition & Access
Pass legislation that subsidizes purchases of local food by New Hampshire schools
Pass an ongoing, permanent Local Food for Local Schools Purchasing Incentive Pilot Program that subsidizes purchases of local food by New Hampshire…
Program creation, support, or expansion, Policy/Regulation Institutional Markets Engagement & Education, Farm, Fish, & Food Business Viability, Nutrition & Access
Support and fund wholesale-readiness technical assistance and infrastructure
Support New Hampshire farmers and food hubs interested in reaching wholesale and institutional markets through targeted wholesale- readiness…
Program creation, support, or expansion, Investment/Funding Institutional Markets Farm, Fish, & Food Business Viability, Nutrition & Access
Amend bidding regulations for state-funded food purchasing
Assess and amend the current lowest-cost state bidding regulations for state-funded food purchasing to include geographic preference of local food,…
Policy/Regulation Institutional Markets Farm, Fish, & Food Business Viability, Nutrition & Access