1. Local Food Assessment & Economic Development
Presenter: Leslie Schaller leslies@acenetworks.org

2. Why People Want Local
Food quality
Greater food safety and traceability
Reducing one’s food footprint
Creating and retaining businesses and livelihoods
Greater social cohesion and sense of community

5. Favorable Trends
• Buy Local, Buy Fresh ---- Branding
• Local is the new organic
• Exponential growth of farmers markets
• Celebrating Rural & Regional Flavor
• Country is re-examining our values
• Foodies and ‘locavores’ spread the word
• $$$ for infrastructure on the way -- USDA

6. Local food opportunities
 Demand and supply for local food has grown in
recent years despite the recession
 In 2011, over 85% of consumers reported that they
choose a grocery store on whether or not they
stock local food
 In 2011 there were over 7,000 farmers markets
compared to 340 in 1970 & more than 4,000 CSAs
 The USDA estimates local food sales to reach $7
billion in 2012

8. Shorten the supply chain – from farm

9. Shorten the supply chain – to the fresh plate

10. What is the recipe for
local food system
economic impact?

11. Food Brand Strategy
 Brand strategy interdependent with business
development services and food sector incubation
 Brands are market driven by supply chain demand &
consumer education
 Brands rooted in local value chain model as theory of
change
 Brands provide perceived value for entrepreneurs to
participate in training & evaluation

12. The Mission of The 30 Mile
Meal Project
Creating local foods earning opportunities
for farmers, food producers, food
markets, food events and local food
enterprises within a 30 mile radius of

13.  Recognizable identity within the region
 Effective marketing tools that drive collaboration
& new partnerships
 Created buzz in the region as food economy
strategy
 Opportunity for peer networks & licensing of
brand strategy
 Multiple public & private funding streams to
prototype 30 Mile Meal efforts

14. Replicating the 30 Mile Meal
Our first 30 Mile Meal Pioneers:
Licking County, Ohio
Huntington, West Virginia
Youngstown, Ohio

15. What We’ve
Learned

16. Financial Support Capacity
Membership Fees
Underwriting Campaigns
Sponsorships
Donations
Merchandise Sales
Value Chain Services
In-kind from Stakeholders

17. Four Principles of Wealth Creation
1. Focus on place
2. Incentivize collaboration
3. Create multiple forms of wealth
4. Emphasize local ownership

18. Traditional Supply Chain
Production Processing Distribution Marketing Consumption
Traditional Supply Chains: push supply to the next node in the chain

19. Mapping the Local Food Value Chain

20. Stages of Development of
Local Food Value Chains
Natural
Mature
•Social
•Individual •Built
•Intellectual •Political
•Financial
Emerging

21. Local food impacts headlines
 Athens Farmers Market: 40 years strong, over 100
vendors & estimated $3million in sales in 2011
 ACEnet Food Ventures Center: 16 years of
operation, over 260 food enterprises served & $28
million in aggregate tenant/user sales
 30 Mile Meal brand: over 130 stakeholders
committed to growing, producing, sourcing and
marketing local foods

22. A Mature Local Food System
 Sustainable and diversified agriculture
 Farmers and food producers are using
multiple market channels
 Production can go to scale – all forms
Consumer demand has been cultivated
(consumer education, innovative market
branding and partnerships, and access)

23. Collaborating for mutual benefit
 The wealth creation approach is not about charity but about
meeting market needs. Making economic connections in ways
that create mutual benefit
 It emphasizes the values that areas naturally share with external
markets. These might be clean water, healthy food, vibrant
families, healthy soil, reduced energy use, etc.
 Creating economic connections based on shared values leads
naturally to mutual benefit. Value chains can create win-win
situations for everyone along the chain
 The focus of this approach is on how people in low-wealth places
can benefit from the wealth they help to create

24. •Area farmers
•Farmers
Food producing value-
Producers added
& •Small food
producers
Processors •Local processors
•Dairy processors
•Meat processors

32. •Farmers markets
•Farm stands,
pick your own
farms
Direct •CSA’s, good food
box programs, e-
Sales commerce
subscription

34. •Produce auctions
•Farm market
retailers
Aggregators, •Food hubs
Distributors & •Regional produce
Brokers distributors

35. • Restaurant
associations
• Educational
programs
Wholesale • Grocery store
chains &
Buyers associations
• Retail
associations,
• Farm to School
buyers

36. Retail Market Partnerships

37. Larger Market Partners

39. • Chamber of Commerce,
Civic groups
• Healthcare initiatives
• Farm group associations
Consumers • Food bloggers
• Farm to School parents &
& Non- advocates
• Slow food chapters,
profit dining clubs
• Heritage & Tourism
partners groups
• Farm Organizations:
OEFFA, IFO, Farm Bureau
• Economic Development

40. •Traditional print
newspapers
•TV affiliates
•Local radio stations
•Educators –
Journalism, Media or
Media Vis-Comm Schools
•Food blogs
•Food facebook pages,
tumblr, twitters, etc.

42. Local Media Spreads the Word

43. •Local banks
•CDFI’s
•Venture Capital
funds
Banks, Finance •Financial planners
Institutions •Insurance vendors

70. Emphasizing investment
for long-term gain
 Much of traditional development focuses on
short-term consumption: how much money
people have to buy things today
 A focus exclusively on consumption cannot
build a sustainable system
 Continual reinvestment in assets is necessary to
produce tomorrow’s income

71. Mapping Our Local Assets
 Each of communities have unique assets
 Assets vary between emerging &
established food economies
 Often assessment starts with stakeholders
in the inner circle of the value chain
 Support stakeholders of equal importance
to the viability of the brand program