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Growing Local Food Markets in the Monadnock Region

Campaign Introduction:

Join us and make it easier to buy and sell local food in our community! Together we can build healthier families, thriving farms, and connected communities.

$10,850

Funds Raised

$10,000

Funding Goal

Apr 2020

Ended

This campaign was successful! 😃
Or purchase a reward below if available!
Raised Percent :
108%
Location:
Share Campaign:

$10,850

Funds Raised

$10,000

Funding Goal

Apr 2020

Ended

Raised Percent :
108%
This campaign was successful! 😃
Or purchase a reward below if available!
Campaign Location:
Share Campaign:

Campaign Story

Who We Are & What We Do

Food Connects is an entrepreneurial non-profit on a mission to create healthy families, thriving farms, and connected communities. We partner with local farmers and food producers throughout the Monadnock Region like Frisky Cow Gelato, Echo Farm Puddings, and Picadilly Farm. We help them share their bounty with schools, grocery stores, hospitals, restaurants, and other businesses across the region.

Our work creates a vibrant food economy with a vision to make local food accessible to all community members. To achieve this goal, farmers need access to larger markets, allowing them to scale up production and increase their revenue. So, all farmers need to do is start selling their product to larger customers, right?

Well, it’s not that simple.

What We've Learned

Over the past 10 years, we have learned that growing markets isn’t easy for local farmers and producers. Many large-scale, wholesale customers in our community—like Keene State College and Franklin Pierce University—only purchase from a limited number of approved vendors; they simply can’t buy directly from small farms and food businesses. It is difficult, if not impossible, to become an approved vendor for small-scale, family-owned operations.

Growing Local Food Markets

We are working to solve this problem by becoming an approved vendor for larger customers, allowing schools, grocery stores, hospitals, and restaurants to easily purchase from over 70 local farms and producers that sell through Food Connects.

Donate now to help our local food economy grow. And please share this with five of your friends who love local food!

Every dollar from this campaign goes towards our work to become an approved vendor, including developing formal food safety procedures and purchasing the supplies necessary to obtaining our third-party food safety certification. This will allow local food producers to grow in new ways. Their products will be widely distributed and consumed by community members across the region, allowing their businesses to thrive due to increasing sales, and reinvesting those dollars back into our local economy.

Community Impact

This is the start of something huge for our region. When we sell to wholesale customers in our community, more people have access to local food. This funding will enable us to become an approved vendor, overcoming the barriers farmers and producers face when entering larger wholesale markets, and ultimately, growing our local food economy.

Join us and make it easier to buy and sell local food in our community.

Campaign Contributions

Name Location Date
Lenore Penniman , DE April 21, 2020
Gurudharm Khalsa West Dummerston, VT April 21, 2020
Diane Sontum Laramie, WY April 18, 2020
Jennifer Silver Saxtons River, VT April 17, 2020
Hannah Grimes Keene, NH April 16, 2020
ARLENE HANSON Brattleboro, VT April 15, 2020
Tracey John Brattleboro, VT April 15, 2020
Mary Ann Kristiansen Roxbury, NH April 15, 2020
Elizabeth Gentile Brattleboro, VT April 15, 2020
Kevin Dremel Keene, NH April 15, 2020
Susan Hayes Delray Beach, FL April 15, 2020
Laura Carbonneau Keene, NH April 15, 2020
Andrew Grimaldi Keene, NH April 15, 2020
Andrew Grimaldi Keene, NH April 15, 2020
Russ Lazarek Westminster, VT April 15, 2020
Tracy Clark Keene, NH April 14, 2020
Jane Dewey Brattleboro , VT April 14, 2020
Anonymous Peterborough , NH April 13, 2020
Elizabeth Gentile Brattleboro , VT April 10, 2020
Neal Hayes Burlington, VT April 10, 2020
Jerusa McCullock Bellows Falls, VT April 09, 2020
julie davenson Nelson, NH April 07, 2020
Roe-Ann Tasoulas Keene, NH April 07, 2020
Grateful Day Homestead , NH April 06, 2020
Katherine Keefe Windham , ME April 05, 2020
Jeffrey Pedersen Candia, NH April 04, 2020
Melissa Stephenson Peterborough, NH April 04, 2020
Anonymous , April 04, 2020
eileen sweeney Boca Raton, FL April 04, 2020
Anonymous , April 04, 2020
Julia Fermoile , DE April 04, 2020
Anonymous , April 04, 2020
Marcia Kayser Keene, NH April 04, 2020
Elisa Daus , VT April 04, 2020
Scott Berzofsky , VT April 03, 2020
Anonymous , April 03, 2020
Jeff and Linda Rubin Keene, NH April 03, 2020
Jennifer Risley Keene, NH April 02, 2020
Lori Schreier , NH April 01, 2020
Mark Boomgarden Keene, NH March 31, 2020
Richard Grimaldi Bayville, NJ March 25, 2020
Rowland Russell Keene, NH March 25, 2020
Allyson Wendt , VT March 25, 2020
Marty Hennum , NH March 24, 2020
Kevin Brennan Westminster West, VT March 24, 2020
ARLENE HANSON Brattleboro, VT March 24, 2020
ARLENE HANSON Brattleboro, VT March 21, 2020
Richard Berkfield Putney, VT March 21, 2020
Ken Brautigam , VT March 20, 2020
Suzanne Butcher Keene, NH March 17, 2020
Jennifer Risley Keene, NH March 15, 2020
Jennifer Risley Keene, NH March 14, 2020
Andrew Grimaldi Keene, NH March 14, 2020
Sara Carbonneau West Swanzey, NH March 13, 2020
Lisa Sieverts Harrisville, NH March 13, 2020
Carolyn Sweet Keene, NH March 13, 2020
Caroll Carbonneau Milford, NH March 13, 2020
Monadnock Food Co-op Customers March Round It Up Donation Drive , NH March 12, 2020
Nathanael Matthiesen , VT March 11, 2020
Megan Floyd Broadalbin, NY March 11, 2020
Jane Dewey Brattleboro, VT March 10, 2020
Alex McCullough , VT March 09, 2020
Karen Sprague , VT March 09, 2020
Elizabeth Gentile Brattleboro, VT March 09, 2020
Elizabeth Gentile Brattleboro, VT March 07, 2020
Elizabeth Gentile Brattleboro, VT March 07, 2020
Arc Mechanical , NH March 07, 2020
Nancy LaRowe Norwich, VT March 06, 2020
Molly Clark Providence, RI March 05, 2020
Sheila Humphreys Brattleboro, VT March 03, 2020
kevin stine east dover, VT March 03, 2020
Jennifer Wooster WINCHESTER, NH February 28, 2020
Jeff Burt Franconia, NH February 28, 2020
Conor Floyd Brattleboro, VT February 27, 2020
Jeff and Judy Hamm , CT February 25, 2020
Anonymous Brattleboro, VT February 25, 2020
Deborah Fisher Wales, MA February 25, 2020
McKenna Hayes Putney, VT February 24, 2020
Andrew Renouf Arcata, CA February 24, 2020
cathy HILL palos verdes estates, CA February 24, 2020
Michael Foster Bellows Falls, VT February 24, 2020
Chris Renouf Burlington, VT February 23, 2020
ARLELNE HANSON Brattleboro, VT February 22, 2020
Deanna Zilske KEENE, NH February 22, 2020
Jordan Renouf NYC, NY February 21, 2020
Colleen Manzi Troy, NH February 21, 2020
Ellen Pratt Putney, VT February 21, 2020
Eve McDermott Putney, VT February 21, 2020
Anonymous Ogden, UT February 21, 2020
Paul Renouf Putney, VT February 20, 2020
Elizabeth Gentile Brattleboro, VT February 20, 2020
Laura Carbonneau Keene, NH February 20, 2020

Campaign Updates

  • 20-02-2020

    Welcome from Food Connects!

    Thanks for learning more about our Growing Local Food Markets in the Monadnock Region campaign. We are so excited to be live and cannot wait to see all the community support!

    Today our Food Hub Manager, Julicia Myers, and Marketing Manager, Laura Carbonneau, joined Chef Luca Paris and Dan Mitchell on WKBK to talk about what we do and our campaign. Stream the show online now!

    We are so grateful to our reward sponsors, Frisky Cow Gelato and Sprague & Son Sugarhouse, for offering great rewards to our campaign supporters. Be on the look out for more rewards coming your way.

    Lastly, we are excited to announce that the Monadnock Food Co-op chose us to be the recipients of the month-long Round Up campaign for March. Ask the cashiers to Round Up your change at the register to support this campaign.

  • 25-02-2020

    Round Up Your Change in March!

    Last night we unlocked our first milestone in our Growing Local Food Markets in the Monadnock Region campaign—$500! Thank you to our earliest supporters. We are excited to announce some new rewards including shirts from Bulldog Design, products from Jack’s Crackers, and a co-working memberships to The Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship. Check out these great new rewards and please be sure to share this campaign with your friends, families, neighbors, and coworkers. Tell them how they can help local farms grow and these amazing rewards!

    Exciting News:

    If you live in the Keene, NH area or are just planning a visit, be sure to stop by the Monadnock Food Co-op. During the entire month of March you can ask you round up your change at the register to the nearest dollar. All the round up funds for the month will be dedicated to this campaign! It is an easy way to support local farms and a local store. And be sure to spread the words to your friends in the Keene community.

    Have questions about how you can be involved in this campaign? Let us know!

  • 07-03-2020

    We're Growing and Growing!

    Our campaign continues to grow! We are so grateful to all of our 26 donor for getting to almost 20% of our total goal! As always, please be sure to donate to this campaign if you have not already and share it with anyone you know who loves local food!

    On Tuesday, we hosted our 2020 Local Food Trade Show. 30 local food producers and farmers joined us at the beautiful Stonewall Farm in Keene, NH to spend the afternoon promoting amazing and delicious local foods to over 50 wholesale customers in the region. Our Local Food Trade Show is one of the many ways we aim to grow local food markets.

    Didn’t get to attend the event? Check out pictures on Facebook. But fair warning, some will make your mouth water!

  • 11-03-2020

    And we're live!

    Our campaign is officially launched to the public! We are so excited to share this work with our community.

    We want to send a HUGE thank you to all of our donors to getting us to over 38% of the way to our goal. We are thrilled to announce that that first week of our Round Up at the Monadnock Food Co-op raised over $1,500! We are so overwhelmed by the generosity of our community. Your support for local food will help farmers grow their markets and improve our local food economy. We know with your help we will be able to reach our goal of $10,000!

    We just added Adventure Park Passes from Bromley Mountian to our rewards list. Be on the look out for more rewards in the next week.

    And as always, please share this campaign with your networks. We challenge you to share this campaign with 5 friends, family members, or co-workers this week!

  • 19-03-2020

    We're Stronger Together!

    We know that these are trying times for our community. Local businesses and food producers are struggling with the loss of sales. Now, more than ever, it is critical that we support and grow local food infrastructure. Resilient local food economies can weather the storm.

    In light of the outbreak of COVID-19, we wanted to share with you what Food Connects continues to do to keep our communities safe, support local food producers, and feed our neighbors. Our Food Hub is working diligently to modify and reduce our direct contact with customers and producers, limiting the amount of exposure we have with individuals to ensure the safety of our staff, customers, producers, and the food we provide—while still getting food to grocery stores and school meal programs providing breakfast and lunch to hungry students. Our larger Food Connects team is telecommuting and working with local and statewide partners to respond to the needs of our community and provide vital resources and assistance.

    We want to thank those who have supported our campaign to get us to over 40% of our goal. We ask that you continue to share and support this campaign to help us achieve our goals of healthy families, thriving farms, and connects communities.

    In the meantime, we ask that you continue to be a champion for local food. Ordering takeout or delivery from local restaurants helps them stay in business. Purchasing locally-grown produce at your neighboring co-op ensures that farms in our region can still thrive. Donating to food banks, school meal programs, and other meal delivery service non-profits guarantees our neighbors are not hungry.

  • 25-03-2020

    Frisky Cow Support Food Connects!

    Wow! We hit 75% of our goal this week! Thank you so much to all of our donors and reward sponsors for making this possible. Please continue to share this campaign and if you haven’t donated yet, there is still time!

    Amid the growing national concerns around COVID-19, we are seeing strong response to support our local businesses and food producers. Our campaign is one of the many ways that you can ensure that we strengthen our local food economy. Resiliency is created by working together.

    Knowing this, we wanted to take a step back and share with you a story from one of our producers. Linda Rubin, owner of Frisky Cow Gelato, wants to grow her local business. Hear from Linda, how our Growing Local Food Markets in the Monadnock Region campaign will help her reach her goals.

  • 03-04-2020

    Matching Challenge in Place!

    Can you believe it? We are already at 81% of our goal! We are closing in fast on $10,000 and still have until April 18. Thank you so much to each and every one of you who have supported our campaign so far. Our staff is working incredibly hard right now to keep our community feed and we are humbled by your generosity and support for the local food economy. Check out how packed our cooler was this week with local food!

    We are excited to announce a matching challenge, now active on our campaign site! The Monadnock Food Co-op will match each donation to the Food Connects crowdfunding campaign dollar for dollar up to $500. We are so grateful for the co-op and everything they continue to do to make this campaign a huge success and provide healthy food options for our community.

    Can we match all $500 this weekend? Share this with your friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors to unlock this next goal.

  • 09-04-2020

    Shop for a cause!

    First of all… WOW and thank you! We knocked our $500 matching challenge from the Monadnock Food Co-op out of the park. This incredible out pouring of support got us to 92% of our goal today, with just about 1 week left. We are already putting these funds to good use. We have new shelving up in our cooler to help accommodate the large influx of local food we are delivering and our Integrated Pest Management program is set up and in full gear.

    We also have some exciting new from our friends at the Hannah Grimes Marketplace. Their online market is now open and from April 9-15 they will donate 20% of their sales to our campaign. Hannah Grimes features locally produced gift and food, great to share with friends and family. They are currently doing curbside pickups in Keene, NH, so place your order today! And a huge thank you to their amazing staff!

  • 16-04-2020

    We did it!

    We did it!

    Yesterday we hit $10,00 and we couldn’t have done it without you. We are so grateful to our community supporters and reward sponsors for helping us get this far. We will start using these funds to help us improve our food safety infrastructure. We’re already seeing record sales this month and are confident that our markets will continue to grow thanks to this campaign.

    Haven’t gotten a chance to participate yet? There’s still time to donate! Help us unlock our stretch goals to obtain stainless tables for a portable pallet jack. Or claim some of the AMAZING rewards still available on our page.

    Lastly, a huge thank you to the Hannah Grimes Marketplace for donating 20% of their sales to us last week, totaling over $130!

  • 18-05-2020

    One Month Later...

    Wow! Can you believe it’s been one month since we completed our campaign? We can’t!

    We are so grateful for each and everyone of you for supporting local food systems in our region. We are moved by the tenacity of our communities and how individuals are banding together to continue to shop locally. COVID-19 has shaken us to the core and is proving that resilient local food economies can feed our friends, families, and neighbors.

    We’ve been quite busy during this time. We’ve launched a Curbside Pickup program for households, hired a new Sales Associate, partnered with local organizations to feed families, and saw a 263% increase, year over year, in sales for the month of April.

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Rewards

$5

MamaSezz Fleece Hat

Sport gear from local businesses! This MamaSezz fleece hat is warm and cozy!

0 backers

$10

Bulldog Design T-Shirt

This reward is all bark and no bite! Get one of the super popular Bulldog Tees from Bulldog Design. Pick out your own style and size at the store in downtown Keene.

0 backers

$15

Frisky Cow Gelato T-Shirt

Get frisky with this official Frisky Cow Gelato apparel. Chose between grey, orange, or teal blue. Available sizes: S, M, L, & XL.

0 backers

$20

Food Connects SWAG Bag

Show your love for Food Connects with our SWAG bag. Includes 1 reusable organic cotton tote bag, 2 bumper stickers, and 2 50-sheet sticky notes made with recycled paper.

0 backers

$20

Badger Balm Basic Balms Kit

Treat yourself with this Badger Balm Basic Balms Kit. These locally made balms are Certified USDA Organic, cruelty free, gluten free, and non GMO.

Individual products in kit TBD. Value = $25

0 backers

$20

Badger Balm Sun & Bug Kit

Summer will be upon us faster than you think! Be prepared for the sun and bugs with this Sun & Bug Kit from Badger Balm.

0 backers

$25

Brewbakers Gift Certificate

Do you love locally roasted coffee? Then you'll certainly enjoy this gift certificate to Brewbakers in downtown Keene, NH. From fresh brewed coffee to frozen beverages to delicious espresso, Brewbakers has something for everyone!

0 backers

$25

Locally Made Maple Syrup

Delicious maple syrup made by Sprague & Son Sugarhouse in Jacksonville, VT. Quantity = 1 quart

0 backers

$30

Jack's Cracker Gift Basket

This gift will make any cat lover purr with delight. Cracker fans might also, because they are cool like that. The package includes an awesome Jack’s Crackers Tote bag; with their founder’s mug all over the bag. Because one mug is never enough (pardon the pun), they include a coffee cup with the Jack’s Crackers logo and Their mission statement. Last, but not least, a bakers choice of two bags of Jack’s Crackers. Retail value is $52.00

0 backers

$30

Orchard Hill Breadworks Bread Bucks

Who doesn't love delicious, locally made breads? Receive 6 Orchard Hill Breadworks Bread Bucks, each redeemable for 1 FREE loaf of bread at their location in Alstead, NH. That's 6 loaves of delicious bread!

0 backers

$55

Frisky Cow Gelato Gelato 6 Packs

Six pints of delicious locally made gelato can be yours! Mix and match your favorite gelato—choose between: Sweet Maple Cream, Belgian Chocolate, Strawberry, Coffeehouse Chip, Vanilla Stracciatella, Sea Salted Caramel, & Mint Owl Crunch.

0 backers

$75

Food Connects Charcuterie Platter

Impress your dinner guests with this local food platter. Includes 3 5 oz Vermont Salumi salami sticks, 2 half pound wedges of Jasper Hill cheese, 1 load of Orchard Hill Breadworks bread, 1 16 oz jar of kraut or kimchi from Hosta Hill, 1 pound of cheese from Bousquet Smokehouse, 1 8.4 oz bottle of Organic Balsamic-Style Apple Cider Vinegar from Side Hill Cider Mill, and 1 4 oz bag of crackers from Red Barn Lavash. Also includes 2 Food Connects bumper stickers!

0 backers

$75

1 Month Membership to the Hive: Coworking Space

The Hive, at the Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship, is an affordable, creative co-working space available in downtown Keene, NH. Receive 8 am-5 pm Monday through Friday access for one month!

Value = $100

0 backers

$80

Bromley Mountain Adventure Park Passes

Want a day full of excitement? Then head on up to Bromley Mountain with these 2 Adventure Park Passes! Each pass is valid for one All Day Mountain Adventure Pass through 10/15/2020. Does not include the Sun Mountain Flyer or the Ariel Park. $49 value each per 2019 rates.

0 backers

$90

Food Connects Breakfast Basket

Celebrate local food with this local breakfast basket. Included are 2 16 oz bags of Terra Nova coffee, 1 3 oz tin of Free Verse Farm tea, 1 17 oz bottle of Old Friends Farm ginger honey, 2 12 oz bags of True North Granola granola, and 12 5.3 oz containers of Green Mountain Creamery Greek yogurt. Plus 2 Food Connects bumper stickers!

0 backers

$100

MamaSezz Veggie Entree Bundle

Want to eat a plant-based diet but not sure where to start? Make going vegan easy with the Get Me Started Bundle. No cooking required—just heat and eat.

Includes: Meal plan with (optional) suggestions for how to serve your food, easy heat and eat instructions, and 8 delicious ready-made whole food plant-based dishes:

Millie's Chili, Mama's Burgers, Lazy Lasagna, Moroccan Stew, Quinoa Stack, Gardener's Pie, Breakfast Sausage, and Granola.

Value = $169

0 backers

$500

Maple Event Package

Make you next event a maple event! Get your maple goodies here for your next big event. Choose 150 pieces of either 1.7oz syrup, 3 pcs box candy, or Chocolate Bark. Event cannot be during sugaring season (Feb-Mar) and final date to be coordinated by donors.

0 backers