Note from the Executive Director
Wow! 2020 was a doozy. Perseverance and adaptability defined the 2020 growing season. Local farm and food business owners inspired us with their heart and hard work. They scrambled to keep communities safe and nourished in an unfolding pandemic, while fighting to keep their doors open.We were proud to pivot alongside them to meet their evolving needs.
We recalibrated our services to help agricultural entrepreneurs make strategic decisions as markets shifted or closed down. New for us, we partnered with a marketing consultant to help clients reach customers online. We staffed up to help clients evaluate and apply for COVID relief funds.
Uncertainty still reigns. Will changes made in response to COVID be sustainable or profitable? We worked with fewer startups and more clients who were just trying to stay afloat. While business growth exceeded projections, with most clients increasing sales during COVID, their expenses also rose.
Managing change is essential to securing farm and food business owners’ futures. We specialize in building this capacity. We equip entrepreneurs with the tools and skills for real-time evaluation and adaptation.
We crafted our 2023 strategic plan with farmers’ futures in mind. It renews our commitment to helping farms and food businesses succeed, while challenging us to grow and change as we place our efforts in the context of a just and resilient food system. This growth includes centering racial and economic justice in our work, collaborating to support farmers accessing land, and building client readiness to adjust to major disruptions such as climate change.
We are excited as we embark on this chapter of transformation for a just and resilient food system where all agricultural entrepreneurs can thrive. It is also a time for leadership transition for the staff and the advisory board. We look forward to working with you to realize this vision.
Sincerely,
Dorothy Suput
Founder and Executive Director, 2006-2021
Our Vision
We envision a just and resilient farm and food system, where successful farms and agricultural businesses are increasing in number and racial diversity, and are contributing to New England’s economic, environmental, and social well-being.
We support agricultural businesses, securing their futures by breaking down financial barriers and building their paths to sustainability. We do this as business advisors and through education, advocacy, and research.
We address the most important gaps at the intersections of financial security, racial and economic justice, financial barriers to farmland access, and farmers’ abilities to weather major disruptions.
Programs Overview
We fill gaps in information, training, skill-building, and capital for farmers and food entrepreneurs. We multiply our impact through research and collaboration that advances the sector.
Our results are driven by programs developed as the result of research; our research and collaborations intentionally influence and build upon our client work, and vice versa. These connections seed change in our work and others’.
Uplifting Entrepreneurs
The Carrot Project supports financial management skill development and access to capital.
ln Southern New England, we work directly with:
- Farmers using sustainable methods.
- Food and agricultural businesses who source or serve their products locally.
Our programs are designed to serve farmers and food entrepreneurs facing barriers to support and financing.
Income Level at Beginning of Service
The Carrot Project Clients and New England Farmer Demographics Compared
In 2020 89% of our clients were from low-to-moderate income households as defined by HUD, 41% were women, and 7% were BIPOC individuals. By comparison, only 2% and 44% of farms in our region are minority or women-owned, respectively. We continue seeking ways to further serve entrepreneurs from historically marginalized communities, particularly BIPOC individuals, immigrants, and women.
Stage of Business
Services Accessed
Client Outcomes
These outcomes represent clients who completed outcome-based services in 2020.
Rapid Responders
Janet Steward of Greenfield Highland Beef remembers of early 2020: “We just put boots on the floor and said, ‘We’re just going to attack this and figure out how we can best get through this period.’”
When the pace became unsustainable, she reached out to The Carrot Project: “Instantly I got an answer saying there was someone who would help. This was critically important. I needed more time for animal care instead of sitting in front of a screen trying to sell beef so we could have our business.”
“Our big challenge is the uncertainty of supply and demand. A lot of it is an unknown… we just need to try to monitor and adjust.”
Community Builders
Marleen van Gulick and Dan Carr used their training with The Carrot Project to adjust in a way that strengthened their business, their community, and their commitments to sustainability and education.
After pivoting from farmers’ markets to selling meat boxes online, they launched a Farm Club program to educate their customers about their meat and the land where it’s raised. While still monitoring, they hope the change will help them achieve their holistic vision of success at Beavertides Farm.
Local Leaders
From food security to economic invigoration, we saw clients step up to meet communities’ most urgent needs. As Janet Steward put it: “We are in this together, and as farmers, we have a special role. We can connect the community and be there for people…If I can help people not be afraid of not having enough local food to feed their families, I’m blessed to be able to do that.”
Uplifting the Sector
The Carrot Project seeks to catalyze change in the regional food system through research, collaboration, and advocacy.
We are hosting and helped launch the Agricultural Viability Alliance (the Alliance) with the Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corporation, the Vermont Farm and Forest Viability Program, and 37 other organizations. The Alliance’s goal is to increases the number and economic viability of farm and food businesses by bringing together business advisors from across New England and New York’s Hudson Valley to address shared challenges, facilitate more uniform high-quality service delivery and coverage, and more effectively share and expand limited resources. Learn more here.
Advisory Board
Fred Ames | Ames Memorial Hall
Jess Brooks | Sunwealth
Apolo Cátala | Oasis on Ballou
Patty Devaney | The Sustainability Group
Patty Duffy | Maine Harvest Credit Project
Jennifer Hashley | New Entry Sustainable Farming Project
Holly Fowler | Northbound Ventures
Christopher Laughton | Farm Credit East
Jon Jaffe | Farm Credit East
Benneth Phelps | Dirt Capital
Staff
Dorothy Suput | Founder and Executive Director
Jeff Cole | Client Services Specialist
Johanna de Graffenreid | Agricultural Viability Alliance Coordinator
Julia Grigg | Development and Communications Coordinator
Julia Shanks | Senior Business Advisor
Megan Galeucia | Outreach Assistant
Connect with Us
617-674-2371