Chapter 2: Goals & Data
Goal 2: Consumers in institutional settings (e.g., K-12 schools, colleges, state agency cafeterias, hospitals, prisons) will consume more locally produced food.
Vermont institutions--K-12 schools, colleges, the University of Vermont, state institutions, hospitals, and workplaces-- represent a unique opportunity for increasing access to local food and expanding consumer awareness of the benefits of locally-produced food. NOFA Vermont's 2012 institutional purchasing study provides the best available data on the opportunity for expanding the amount of local food at Vermont institutions.
What does the data show? The NOFA study conservatively identified over $11 million in spending that could potentially be replaced with local fruits, vegetables, and eggs. New data from the USDA Farm to School Census indicates that Vermont schools spent 16.2% of their food budgets on local food - the highest amount in New England.
Download Goal Data (XLSX 2MB)
Population Indicators: Estimates of Locally Sourced Vegetables, Fruits, and Eggs at VT Institutions Reveals Opportunity Gaps (2012)
Population Indicators: There are Many Opportunities for Increasing Produce Purchases at VT Institutions (2012)
Population Indicators: 35% of Institutional Egg Purchases are Local - Plenty of Opportunity for Growth (2012)
Population Indicators: Vermont Ranks 11th in the Country for Local Food Purchases at K-12 Schools as a Percentage of Total Food Purchases (2011-2012)
Population Indicators: Local Fruits and Vegetables Were the Most Commonly Purchased Categories by New England School Districts (2011-12)
Population Indicators: Survey of Hospitals Establishes Baseline for Local Food Purchases (2015)
Population Indicators: Vermont Colleges Spent an Average of 30.7% of Food Budgets on Local Food During 2014-2015 Academic Year
Population Indicators: Availability, Price, and Variety are the Top Barriers to Sourcing Local Food at New England Colleges and Universities
