FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
FSRI Completes Jobs Accelerator Action Plan for Agriculture and Food System Development Report for the Northern Community Investment Corporation (NCIC).
Charlotte, VT ─ December 17, 2014 ─ The Food Systems Research Institute (FSRI) recently completed a report for the Northern Community Investment Corporation (NCIC). The Jobs Accelerator Action Plan for Agriculture and Food System Development is an in-depth analysis that details agricultural and food system possibilities across the Northern Tier. The Northern Tier consists of eight counties in three states: Caledonia, Essex and Orleans counties in Vermont; Coos, Grafton and Carroll counties in New Hampshire; and Oxford and Franklin counties in Maine. This project is a significant portion of the Northern Tier Farm and Forest Jobs Accelerator program administered by the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development and U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration program.
In the Report, FSRI details recent trends in the Northern Tier Food System, including analysis of farming data, growers, distributors, retailers, and restaurants. The productive capacity of the Northern Tier is analyzed with a focus on grass-based beef production. “In the Jobs Accelerator Report FSRI utilized our geospatial techniques to determine where grazing capacity exists throughout the eight-county region. This, in turn, gave us a clear picture of how this biophysical resource may be leveraged to create jobs in the farm and food sectors,” said Jesse McEntee, FSRI Managing Partner.
Under NCIC’s leadership, FSRI was one of two teams of consultants selected as the result of a competitive bid process. In addition to writing the Report, FSRI provided general advisory, research, and analysis services, including an agricultural producer inventory, identification of distribution channels, and a comprehensive geospatial catalogue.
The report was released by NCIC earlier this month and can be found on the organization’s website here:
http://www.ncic.org/resource-library/JobsAccelerator2014.aspx
(see report “Jobs Accelerator Action Plan for Agriculture and Food System Development: Inventory and Trends”)
About NCIC
NCIC is a non-profit, certified Community Development Financial Institution working to address regional economic challenges. Its focus is on building partnerships and developing creative and effective solutions for individual businesses, communities and the region, to ensure that the region continues to offer a strong and growing business climate, and diverse employment opportunities. More can be learned at: (http://www.ncic.org)
About FSRI
The Food Systems Research Institute (FSRI) is a food systems consulting firm that specializes in providing food system expertise to businesses, non-profits, and institutions. The core suite of services includes business strategy and analytics, geographic information systems and mapping, as well as academic research and education. Committed to the development of sustainable food systems, FSRI prioritizes client needs using a whole-systems approach. More can be learned at: (http://www.foodsri.com)
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Media Contact:
Jesse McEntee, PhD
jmcentee@foodsri.com |802.448.2403