Our Strategic Plan

Our Roadmap (2026-2031)

Our Strategic Plan is built around four goals that guide everything we do over the next five years. Here’s what we’re working toward and how we plan to get there..

Goal 1: Ensure the Sustainability of the Coalition

How we’ll get there:
Recruit and maintain an active, diverse, and representative board and coalition membership
Share information, ideas, and resources efficiently and equitably among food system stakeholders
Raise funds to support coalition activities
Increase the number and strength of partnerships in the region's food system

Goal 2: Increase Food Production in the Region

How we’ll get there:
Support improved access to farm inputs like seeds, equipment, labor, land, and technology to increase productivity.

Promote Cheshire County Conservation District programming

Improve food producers' connection to capital and business planning assistance that supports farm profitability

Establish a revolving loan fund via micro grants, with partners including Monadnock Economic Development Corp., UNH Extension, and Hannah Grimes Center
Procure regional farm marketing grants
Identify tools in the community that work with groups of families to pique interest in buying clubs
Build out CSA buying clubs at schools, workplaces, and gyms

Encourage new entrepreneurs

Promote the Hannah Grimes Farm Business Lab
Establish a Cheshire County Young Farmers Scholarship

Promote stewardship of agricultural and natural resources through best management practices and access to technical assistance

Improve connection with municipalities and the SW Regional Planning Commission
Advocate for town funding to protect farmland

Offer education on the value of protecting agricultural soils

Continue to promote Cheshire County Conservation District, ag policy, Village Roots, The Sustainability Project, and Stonewall Farm work

Goal 3: Increase Local Food Consumption in the Region

How we’ll get there:
Support direct sales and year-round markets of locally produced food by improving farmers' links between markets and consumers

Host matchmaking conversations between big box store market managers and farmers about barriers and gaps to increasing local food availability
Increase availability of local food at corner stores, including use of SNAP/EBT and Granite State Market Match
Explore on-farm or farmers market software to purchase local food online, prepaid
Explore a food hub or cooperative in the region

Expand local food access and educate consumers on the benefits of locally produced food, especially youth and low-income populations

Offer SNAP enrollment sign-ups at 6 sites between 2026 and 2028
Host a forum on food access, with a keynote on the importance of food resilience in the region

Improve postproduction infrastructure including storage and processing facilities

Meet with Great Falls Food Hub to collaborate on infrastructure needs

Promote home and community food production and preparation

Improve localized access to farm food by developing a farm stand toolkit with info on cottage laws and food handling
Encourage small producers to plant-a-row for donation to The Community Kitchen collective of food pantries
Offer a Vegetable Garden Tour plus garden workshops

Goal 4: Provide Resources and Encourage Advocacy for Food System Policy

How we’ll get there:
Identify best practices, model policy, and zoning that could support agriculture in the Monadnock Region
Improve connection with municipalities and the SW Regional Planning Commission, and advocate for town funding to protect farmland
Build awareness of relevant national and state food system legislation and policies
Recruit and maintain an active, diverse, and representative board and coalition membership