Aggregation, Distribution, and Storage Infrastructure Priority Strategy Team | VT Farm to Plate

Join Us at the Gathering

The Aggregation, Distribution, and Storage Infrastructure PST (Priority Strategy Team) is tasked with helping to implement "Priority Strategy 7: Make significant investments in storage, processing, and distribution infrastructure in order to enhance product innovation and quality across all Vermont food products, expand regional market access for businesses, and increase the resilience of local supply chains". A key aspect to achieving this is implementing recommendations from the Distribution Issue Brief.

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All Members

Amrita Parry

Green Mountain Farm-to-School

(802) 334-2044

Angela Stevens

Farm Fresh Connect

Annie Harlow

Addison County Relocalization Network (ACORN)

8029227060

Annie Myers

Myers Produce LLC

9177339949

Ashwinee Kulkarni

The Vermont Department of Health-HPDP Division

Barbara Fenhagen

Johnson Family Foundation

Barney Hodges

Sunrise Orchards

8024623500

Becca Perrin

Green Mountain Farm-to-School

2032099106

Becka Warren

Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

802-828-1260

Resources Created by This Group

Local Food Wholesale Market Assessment

The report examines local food trends, provides tools and insights into how wholesale operates for producers and gives the broader food system community a greater understanding of how trends are impacting, supporting, and altering the viability, sustainability, and make-up of our local food system.

Distribution Options Financial Decision Making Tool

This Excel workbook is a financial tool created to aid decision making around the various distribution options.

Impulse and End-Cap Fundamentals to Boost Sales

End caps & impulse displays are used to promote new products, feature Vermont, seasonal and popular items while providing customers with value propositions.

Vermont Farm to College: Opportunities and Barriers to Greater Local Food Procurement in Vermont Higher Education Food Service

Research and analysis conducted by the Farm to College Task Force to explore opportunity for increased procurement of locally produced foods at institutions of higher education.

Connecting the Dots: Strategies for Aligning Production, Processing, Distribution, and Market Outlets for Vermont’s Food System

Appendix C: Connecting the Dots focuses on the distribution chain that links farm production, processing, and market outlets and provides strategies for aligning these elements of Vermont’s food system more closely.

Cross Merchandising

Tips and strategies for successfully cross merchandising to boost sales and profits.

How to Create a Successful Sampling Program

Tips and strategies for creating and managing a successful sampling program.

Produce Handling and Storage Tips

Tips for handling and storing 22 different types of produce.

10 Questions to Ask About Produce Display

10 questions to ask to strengthen produce merchandising.

Merchandising Strategies: Using the 5 Ps of Marketing

Strategies covering the 5 Ps of Marketing: Product, Placement, Pricing, Promotion, and People.

General Merchandising Hands on Exercise

A worksheet to assess store merchandising.

General Merchandising Tips

Key tips to improving store merchandising.

How Do You Rate? Receiving

A worksheet for self-evaluating your receiving operations.

Tips for Purchasing Direct from Local Vendors

Tip sheet for purchasing direct from local vendors.

Tips for Building and Maintaining Efficient Relationships with Local Vendors

Tip sheet for building and maintaining efficient relationships with local vendors.

Tips for Meeting with Local Vendors

Tip sheet for working with local vendors

Take 5 Episode 12: Vermont Retail Showcase

A greatest hits showcase of creative merchandising in Vermont stores of all sizes.

Take 5 Episode 11: Product Sampling

Tips and strategies for running an effective sampling program.

Take Episode 10: In-Store Signage

Tips and strategies for effectively using signage to increase sales.

Take 5 Episode 9: In-Store Promotions

Tips and strategies for stimulating consumer demand through in-store promotions.

Take 5 Episode 8: Merchandising for Small Stores

Tips for how to improve sales through improved merchandising.

Take 5 Episode 7: MORE Display Tips & Tricks

More display tips for all stores that covers basic display concepts and provides inspiration to unleash staff creativity.

Take 5 Episode 6: Display Tips & Tricks

Display tips for all stores that covers basic display concepts and provides inspiration to unleash staff creativity.

Take 5 Episode 5: The Bell Curve of Merchandising & Display

This episode covers the 5 keys questions to ask after you've brought in new product to your store: (1) Have sales dropped? (2) Should the price be changed? (3) Change...

Take 5 Episode 4: The Bell Curve of Buying

This episode covers the 5 key questions to ask when buying a product for your store: (1) Should I buy it? (2) Who should I buy from? (3) What should...

Take 5 Episode 3: Tips for Sourcing from Local Producers

Tips that cover guidance on ordering, delivery, invoicing and billing, crediting, and additional requirements and policies when sourcing from local producers.

Take 5 Episode 2: Building Relationships with Local Producers

A look at how to build effective relationships with local producers and the local gateway products that can help jump-start your local purchasing and sales.

Take 5 Episode 1: Introduction to Local Foods in Vermont

An introduction to the local food landscape in Vermont.

Report on Scaling Up to Sell to Institutions Forum

There are many considerations for both the producer/processor and the institution when seeking to increase local foods on the menu. Scale, delivery, and cost are a few examples. In the...

Exploring the Next Frontier: Increasing Local Food Sales at Vermont's Independent Retailers

This report provides an understanding of the kinds of products independent grocery stores currently sell and what real and perceived barriers exist to selling more or different products at independent grocery stores.

Independent Grocery research report - Phase 2

In 2014, the Vermont Farm to Plate Network, in collaboration with the Vermont Retail & Grocers Association (VRGA), completed a survey of independent retailers in Vermont, revealing that 100 percent...

Storage, Aggregation, and Distribution Report for Local Food in the North Country

The goals of this study were to collect data on the distribution and storage of food in the NCIC NH region: Carroll, Coos and Grafton Counties; to assess and identify...