Agency of Agriculture seeks producers to complete survey on wholesale and institutional markets

Dear Vermont Producers, T.A. Providers, and members of Vermont’s food system,

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets is conducting a producer survey to better understand Vermont producers’ interests and needs in serving institutional and wholesale markets. Our goal is to identify opportunities for producers to access wholesale and institutional markets. These markets include larger grocery stores, K-12 schools, universities and hospitals. In particular the survey looks to identify what markets producers currently serve, what capacity producers have to serve institutional and wholesale markets, and what services and assistance producers would find most helpful to better serve these markets.

If you are a producer, we ask that you take 8-10 minutes to complete the survey below. If you are not a producer, but work with them, we kindly ask that you pass along this email so we might collect additional responses from Vermont’s expansive agricultural community.

Find the Producer survey link at: www.surveymonkey.com/s/ProducerSurvey_VAAFM

Producer participation in this survey is critical to helping us understand the financial and logistical barriers that prevent producers from successfully serving institutions and wholesale markets. Your participation is completely voluntary; however, know that we would greatly appreciate your contribution towards helping us better support Vermont’s local food economy.

The results from this project will be shared at the state level with different food-focused community groups as well as larger statewide service providers, such as UVM Extension, NOFA-VT and VHCB’s Farm & Forest Viability Program. Your responses will help these groups provide producers, like yourselves, with better technical assistance and help them select and organize more appropriate workshops and more meaningful informational sessions. Please note that information specific to your business will NOT be shared with the public.

We recognize this request falls during the busy production season, but we would like to collect responses by Monday September 15, 2014 so we can use the results to plan for this winter’s workshop and assistance offerings.

If you have any questions about the survey or its results, please feel free to contact me at 802-272-2885 or abbey.willard@state.vt.us.

Thanks,

Abbey Willard

Local Foods Administrator

Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets

116 State St.Montpelier, Vermont 05620-2901

Tel: 802-272-2885

Email: abbey.willard@state.vt.us

agriculture.vermont.gov/