Boston Globe: Food and farm economic plan shows progress in Vt.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/2012/10/14/food-and-farm-economic-plan-shows-progress/b3M6ddIOy1CWnW0dg2RSTK/story.html

SPRINGFIELD, Vt. (AP) — More than a year and half after Vermont launched a plan to boost the state’s food and farm economy, organizers are celebrating its progress.

The achievements include a mobile farmers’ market that reaches low-income housing sites in northern Vermont and an increase in the number of colleges offering local foods in their dining halls.

‘‘Local food is exploding in this state, and it’s because of consumer demand and consumer interest. It’s also really being led by entrepreneurs who see an opportunity and are finding new ways of accessing markets,’’ said Ellen Kehler, executive director of the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund, which developed the Farm to Plate report released in January 2011.

More than 180 food system leaders from around Vermont met in Fairlee for a two-day conference Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss progress since a Farm to Plate network of organizations and working groups was formed a year ago.

It’s estimated that Vermonters consume about 5 percent local food on average. The group’s goal is to boost that to 10 percent by 2021.