October 27, 2015
Katelyn Robinson is the project manager for the Northern Community Investment Corporation (NCIC) and a member of the NH Food Alliance's Strategy Team. Erin Allgood, NH Food Alliance project coordinator, and Jessica Newnan, NH Food Alliance fellow, recently caught up with Katelyn. They sat down to talk about her role at NCIC and how her work relates to the food system and the NH Food Alliance Farm, Fish, and Food Enterprise Viability Initiative.
Northern Community Investment Corporation
NCIC is an organization that supports businesses in northern New Hampshire and northeastern Vermont in a variety of ways. They provide affordable start-up and development lending, however, they also recognize that there is more to assisting local businesses than simply providing capital. NCIC also serves as a resource for small businesses by identifying the most appropriate technical assistance and by connecting business owners with professional consultants to help the business grow.
While NCIC was established in 1975, the organization's focus on agriculture began in 2012 with the receipt of the Northern Tier Farms and Forest Accelerator Grant. When asked about why NCIC pursued this grant, Katelyn stated, "agriculture has been a part of this region's economy for a long time, but farmers hadn't been thinking of themselves as business people". With this grant, NCIC aimed to help farmers shift their mindset to focus on the business aspect of production and they have seen great success. In the beginning, NCIC’s agriculturally-focused loans totaled $362,000 (2009-2011), and have since increased to $1.4 million (2013-2015).
Katelyn Robinson
Katelyn has served as the project manager for Agriculture with NCIC since 2013. With a degree in Community and International Development, she has a significant business and economic expertise that make her an asset to both NCIC and the agricultural community that she serves. Over the last few years, Katelyn has been "laying the groundwork for future projects and getting to know the successful efforts that are already underway in the North Country". She is continually analyzing the existing food system and identifying barriers and finding new opportunities for growth in her region.
For instance, the report, Creating Job Growth in Agriculture and Food Production: Opportunities and Realities, released from NCIC in 2014, showed that less than 5% of maple trees are being tapped in NCIC's region. As the maple syrup plays such an important role in northern NH and VT's economy, Katelyn has focused some of her efforts on creating a marketing plan for the maple industry.
In addition to her analysis of the food system, Katelyn helps to coordinate people and funds, writing most of the grants for her projects. She also works to bring together farmers and local food processors (brewers, bakers, restaurateurs etc.) to help them develop working relationships. Through these relationships, Katelyn learns about the needs of the food producers in her region such as the need for processing space, a more feasible transportation system, and a networking tool between farmers and food businesses. Katelyn's work in helping food and farm enterprises become more viable is one example of how Granite Staters can put the Farm, Fish, and Food Enterprise Viability Initiative to work.
NCIC Success Stories
NCIC has had great successes with their agricultural lending and technical assistance programs. One of NCIC's clients, The Cellars at Jasper Hill, located in Vermont, is famous for their homemade cheeses, including many aged varieties. The Cellars worked with NCIC and other financial partners to finance the construction of their cheese cellars. Today, NCIC is assisting with the purchase of new processing equipment and a new storage facility. This collaboration allowed The Cellars to not only to hire 40 new employees over time, but also to source local milk, thus creating an economic engine in the region that has provided crucial jobs for local residents and revenue for dairy farmers.
Pete’s Greens, a certified organic vegetable farm in Craftsbury, VT, is a story of success in the face of adversity. In 2011, their barn burned down destroying many critical items like their processing equipment, freezers, harvested crops, and other equipment and tools. NCIC was able to provide quick access to cash through its technical assistance cost-share program. These funds enabled Pete's Greens to access the engineering and architectural services they needed to rebuild their barn. Today, Pete's Greens has an impressive presence throughout VT, both through their CSA drop-offs and retail space.
Connection to the Farm, Fish, and Food Enterprise Viability Initiative
When asked how she sees her work with NCIC integrating with the Viability Initiative, Katelyn responded that NCIC "is already helping to provide capital and technical assistance to farmers as well as developing new markets, for instance, by exploring potential distribution options", all of which will contribute to more viable food enterprises. The NH Food Alliance is grateful to count NCIC as a partner in our network due to their to dedication to promoting local agriculture and building local economies.
Established in 1975, NCIC is a non-profit, certified Community Development Financial Institution working to address regional economic challenges. NCIC responds to the needs of individual businesses and communities through: expanding high-speed Internet access, promoting tourism, finding affordable energy solutions, and offering businesses of any size financial solutions and support services. NCIC serves New Hampshire's Carroll, Coos and Grafton Counties and Vermont's Caledonia, Essex and Orleans Counties. NCIC offices are located in Lancaster, NH and St. Johnsbury, VT. For more information visit: www.ncic.org.
Katelyn Robinson is the project manager for the Northern Community Investment Corporation (NCIC) and a member of the NH Food Alliance's Strategy Team. Erin Allgood, NH Food Alliance project coordinator, and Jessica Newnan, NH Food Alliance fellow, recently caught up with Katelyn. They sat down to talk about her role at NCIC and how her work relates to the food system and the NH Food Alliance Farm, Fish, and Food Enterprise Viability Initiative.
Northern Community Investment Corporation
NCIC is an organization that supports businesses in northern New Hampshire and northeastern Vermont in a variety of ways. They provide affordable start-up and development lending, however, they also recognize that there is more to assisting local businesses than simply providing capital. NCIC also serves as a resource for small businesses by identifying the most appropriate technical assistance and by connecting business owners with professional consultants to help the business grow.
While NCIC was established in 1975, the organization's focus on agriculture began in 2012 with the receipt of the Northern Tier Farms and Forest Accelerator Grant. When asked about why NCIC pursued this grant, Katelyn stated, "agriculture has been a part of this region's economy for a long time, but farmers hadn't been thinking of themselves as business people". With this grant, NCIC aimed to help farmers shift their mindset to focus on the business aspect of production and they have seen great success. In the beginning, NCIC’s agriculturally-focused loans totaled $362,000 (2009-2011), and have since increased to $1.4 million (2013-2015).
Katelyn Robinson
Katelyn has served as the project manager for Agriculture with NCIC since 2013. With a degree in Community and International Development, she has a significant business and economic expertise that make her an asset to both NCIC and the agricultural community that she serves. Over the last few years, Katelyn has been "laying the groundwork for future projects and getting to know the successful efforts that are already underway in the North Country". She is continually analyzing the existing food system and identifying barriers and finding new opportunities for growth in her region.
For instance, the report, Creating Job Growth in Agriculture and Food Production: Opportunities and Realities, released from NCIC in 2014, showed that less than 5% of maple trees are being tapped in NCIC's region. As the maple syrup plays such an important role in northern NH and VT's economy, Katelyn has focused some of her efforts on creating a marketing plan for the maple industry.
In addition to her analysis of the food system, Katelyn helps to coordinate people and funds, writing most of the grants for her projects. She also works to bring together farmers and local food processors (brewers, bakers, restaurateurs etc.) to help them develop working relationships. Through these relationships, Katelyn learns about the needs of the food producers in her region such as the need for processing space, a more feasible transportation system, and a networking tool between farmers and food businesses. Katelyn's work in helping food and farm enterprises become more viable is one example of how Granite Staters can put the Farm, Fish, and Food Enterprise Viability Initiative to work.
NCIC Success Stories
NCIC has had great successes with their agricultural lending and technical assistance programs. One of NCIC's clients, The Cellars at Jasper Hill, located in Vermont, is famous for their homemade cheeses, including many aged varieties. The Cellars worked with NCIC and other financial partners to finance the construction of their cheese cellars. Today, NCIC is assisting with the purchase of new processing equipment and a new storage facility. This collaboration allowed The Cellars to not only to hire 40 new employees over time, but also to source local milk, thus creating an economic engine in the region that has provided crucial jobs for local residents and revenue for dairy farmers.
Pete’s Greens, a certified organic vegetable farm in Craftsbury, VT, is a story of success in the face of adversity. In 2011, their barn burned down destroying many critical items like their processing equipment, freezers, harvested crops, and other equipment and tools. NCIC was able to provide quick access to cash through its technical assistance cost-share program. These funds enabled Pete's Greens to access the engineering and architectural services they needed to rebuild their barn. Today, Pete's Greens has an impressive presence throughout VT, both through their CSA drop-offs and retail space.
Connection to the Farm, Fish, and Food Enterprise Viability Initiative
When asked how she sees her work with NCIC integrating with the Viability Initiative, Katelyn responded that NCIC "is already helping to provide capital and technical assistance to farmers as well as developing new markets, for instance, by exploring potential distribution options", all of which will contribute to more viable food enterprises. The NH Food Alliance is grateful to count NCIC as a partner in our network due to their to dedication to promoting local agriculture and building local economies.
Established in 1975, NCIC is a non-profit, certified Community Development Financial Institution working to address regional economic challenges. NCIC responds to the needs of individual businesses and communities through: expanding high-speed Internet access, promoting tourism, finding affordable energy solutions, and offering businesses of any size financial solutions and support services. NCIC serves New Hampshire's Carroll, Coos and Grafton Counties and Vermont's Caledonia, Essex and Orleans Counties. NCIC offices are located in Lancaster, NH and St. Johnsbury, VT. For more information visit: www.ncic.org.
An Interview with Helen Brody
September 24, 2015
Helen Brody is an author, president of NH Farms Network, and friend of the NH Food Alliance. Her latest book, NH Women Farmers: Pioneers of the Local Food Movement, was released earlier this month and shares stories of women farmers and farm supporters throughout the Granite State. The book also features beautiful photographs from Leslie Tuttle.
Erin Allgood, project coordinator for the NH Food Alliance, recently caught up with Helen to ask her what inspired her to write the book and learn more about the NH Farms Network.
From Farm to Kitchen
Helen has been a NH resident for over 15 years. One day, when she was talking to a friend about the differences between VT and NH farms, Helen realized that NH farmers were missing out from learning from one another. She decided to write a book to highlight the stories and recipes of NH farmers. In 2004, New Hampshire: From Farm to Kitchen was published.
NH Farms Network
There are over 4,300 farms in NH, however, From Farm to Kitchen could only reasonably feature 30 farms. Looking for a way to share more farm stories, Helen built the website that became the NH Farms Network (NHFN) initially as a hobby.
Since its inception in 2008, NHFN has grown into a full-fledged 501C3 non-profit organization. The site serves as a database of NH farms, an educational resource, and a place to share the stories that underscore the unique characteristics of NH farmers. NHFN has a board of directors as well as professional and student writers who contribute to the site.
NH Women Farmers
NH Women Farmers: Pioneers in the Local Food Movement came as a natural follow-up to From Farm to Kitchen and the NHFN website. As Helen was gathering information for her first book, she would visit farmers markets and she started to notice a pattern. Women were doing the selling, writing the recipes, and providing that crucial connection between farm and customer. This pattern persisted as she continued to gather stories for the NHFN website. "Women play an unsung role on the farm", Helen says. The book spotlights a a couple different farmers in each heading, 17 in total. The topics range from women who are the face of the farm, to women coming up with creative new marketing ideas for local food, to preserving the working landscape of farms.
Even beyond the farm, Helen knew that there were many other women working in support roles, helping to keep NH farms going off the field. In a section titled, "Off the Farm Support", Helen calls attention to women like Sara Zoe Patterson of Seacoast Eat Local or Gail McWilliam-Jellie of the NH Department of Agriculture, Food, and Markets, to name a few, whose work directly benefits NH farmers in myriad ways.
The book is also beautifully illustrated with stunning photos taken by Leslie Tuttle. During our conversation, it was clear that Helen had a tremendous amount of respect for Leslie and her work. The book is a beautiful celebration of the Granite State women making a difference in the agricultural sector and is a testament to the dedication of both Helen and Leslie to honor the women who grow, or support the production of, food in NH.
Next Steps
NHFN recently received a grant from the Byrne Foundation of Hanover, NH, for $20,000. The grant will be used to broaden outreach throughout the state by working with other organizations that support the mission of the organization.
Now that she has a solid crew of writers and a full-time editor, Helen is looking to go "full-force" into conservation efforts with NHFN. She is working with Ian McSweeney of the Russell Farm and Forest Conservation Foundation to ensure that farmland is available and affordable for future generations.
Get a Copy of NH Women Farmers
A portion of the proceeds from the book go to furthering the mission of NH Farms Network. Click to learn more and order your own copy.
Helen Brody is an author, president of NH Farms Network, and friend of the NH Food Alliance. Her latest book, NH Women Farmers: Pioneers of the Local Food Movement, was released earlier this month and shares stories of women farmers and farm supporters throughout the Granite State. The book also features beautiful photographs from Leslie Tuttle.
Erin Allgood, project coordinator for the NH Food Alliance, recently caught up with Helen to ask her what inspired her to write the book and learn more about the NH Farms Network.
From Farm to Kitchen
Helen has been a NH resident for over 15 years. One day, when she was talking to a friend about the differences between VT and NH farms, Helen realized that NH farmers were missing out from learning from one another. She decided to write a book to highlight the stories and recipes of NH farmers. In 2004, New Hampshire: From Farm to Kitchen was published.
NH Farms Network
There are over 4,300 farms in NH, however, From Farm to Kitchen could only reasonably feature 30 farms. Looking for a way to share more farm stories, Helen built the website that became the NH Farms Network (NHFN) initially as a hobby.
Since its inception in 2008, NHFN has grown into a full-fledged 501C3 non-profit organization. The site serves as a database of NH farms, an educational resource, and a place to share the stories that underscore the unique characteristics of NH farmers. NHFN has a board of directors as well as professional and student writers who contribute to the site.
NH Women Farmers
NH Women Farmers: Pioneers in the Local Food Movement came as a natural follow-up to From Farm to Kitchen and the NHFN website. As Helen was gathering information for her first book, she would visit farmers markets and she started to notice a pattern. Women were doing the selling, writing the recipes, and providing that crucial connection between farm and customer. This pattern persisted as she continued to gather stories for the NHFN website. "Women play an unsung role on the farm", Helen says. The book spotlights a a couple different farmers in each heading, 17 in total. The topics range from women who are the face of the farm, to women coming up with creative new marketing ideas for local food, to preserving the working landscape of farms.
Even beyond the farm, Helen knew that there were many other women working in support roles, helping to keep NH farms going off the field. In a section titled, "Off the Farm Support", Helen calls attention to women like Sara Zoe Patterson of Seacoast Eat Local or Gail McWilliam-Jellie of the NH Department of Agriculture, Food, and Markets, to name a few, whose work directly benefits NH farmers in myriad ways.
The book is also beautifully illustrated with stunning photos taken by Leslie Tuttle. During our conversation, it was clear that Helen had a tremendous amount of respect for Leslie and her work. The book is a beautiful celebration of the Granite State women making a difference in the agricultural sector and is a testament to the dedication of both Helen and Leslie to honor the women who grow, or support the production of, food in NH.
Next Steps
NHFN recently received a grant from the Byrne Foundation of Hanover, NH, for $20,000. The grant will be used to broaden outreach throughout the state by working with other organizations that support the mission of the organization.
Now that she has a solid crew of writers and a full-time editor, Helen is looking to go "full-force" into conservation efforts with NHFN. She is working with Ian McSweeney of the Russell Farm and Forest Conservation Foundation to ensure that farmland is available and affordable for future generations.
Get a Copy of NH Women Farmers
A portion of the proceeds from the book go to furthering the mission of NH Farms Network. Click to learn more and order your own copy.