Regional Food Systems
Our food systems reflect some of the 21st century’s most pressing challenges, but also offer significant opportunities to address them.
America’s industrialized and massive-scale agricultural system contributes to climate change, water scarcity and pollution, food-borne illness, antibiotic resistance, loss of wildlife and habitat, obesity and other disease and food insecurity.
Creating new, regional and sustainable food systems can help address many of these cross-cutting concerns while ensuring the most vulnerable among us – children, the poor and people in hospitals – are getting the healthy food they need to thrive. We’re supporting such a regional food system in New England by:
- Channeling demand from our region’s largest food purchasers such as schools, colleges and universities, and hospitals to increase the economic success of sustainable agriculture;
- Focusing on supply chains to expand and streamline the supply and demand of regionally and sustainably produced food; and
- Strengthening food production and distribution systems so they can meet the growing demand.
Grantee Profile
Migrant Justice
“Milk with Dignity will bring about a new day for dairy workers. We will transform this industry and win our human rights.” – Enrique Balcazar, Migrant Justice Farm Worker Member*
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Impact Investing
Ayers Brook Goat Dairy
In 2012, The John Merck Fund joined philanthropic partners, The Castanea Foundation and the High Meadows Fund, to form Evergreen Partners, L3C, committing $300,000 to the partnership to help finance Vermont Creamery’s ...
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Impact Investing
Fair Food Fund
In 2012, The John Merck Fund Board made a $425,000 investment in the Fair Food Network’s Fair Food Fund-Northeast. The Fund was established to help fill the financing gap that many smaller-scale sustainable farmers ...
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Recent Regional Food Systems Grant Awards
| Date | Description | Program Area | Focus | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/2018 |
CommonWealth KitchenTo collaborate with Boston-area anchor institutions to create sales opportunities for regional farms and small and diverse food businesses, and scale up manufacturing operations so it can sustain itself from earned income within five years. |
Regional Food Systems |
$60,000 | |
| 12/2018 |
Massachusetts Farm to SchoolTo expand local food purchasing and education at schools throughout Massachusetts by generating further public investment for farm to school programs. |
Regional Food Systems |
$30,000 | |
| 12/2018 |
Land for GoodTo improve farmland access and transfer for beginning and established farmers in New England. |
Regional Food Systems |
$30,000 | |
| 12/2018 |
Migrant JusticeTo transform the dairy industry through worker-driven social responsibility that compels dairy brands to ensure respect for human rights in their supply chains. |
Regional Food Systems |
$55,000 | |
| 12/2018 |
Cooperative Development InstituteTo support new American farmers and food leaders in achieving greater economic security and opportunity by increasing revenue from wholesale markets, securing funding and financing, and becoming more integrated and active in the local and regional food system. |
Regional Food Systems |
$40,000 | |
| 12/2018 |
Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working GroupTo support food systems practitioners in becoming more effective policy advocates by strengthening their relationships with state agricultural commissioners and increasing their ability to take action toward racial justice and equity in the food system. |
Regional Food Systems |
$40,000 | |
| 09/2018 |
Real Food ChallengeTo demand that the three largest food service management companies (Sodexo, Aramark, and Compass Group) shift to a purchasing system that is oriented toward “real food” and phase out corporate kickbacks. |
Regional Food Systems |
$85,000 | |
| 09/2018 |
Northeast Organic Farming Association of VermontTo explore how to help Vermont and New England farmers and food producers enter the wholesale market. |
Regional Food Systems |
$40,000 | |
| 09/2018 |
Red TomatoTo grow and diversify sales to institutions and engage in Northeast efforts to increase engagement with individual campuses, regional supply chain facilitators, and corporate purchasers. |
Regional Food Systems |
$50,000 | |
| 09/2018 |
Health Care Without HarmTo harness the assets of health care facilities and allied institutions to identify and invest in projects that develop a sustainable New England food system. |
Regional Food Systems |
$85,000 |