In 2023, a coalition of organizations across New England began exploring what it might mean for the region to produce 30% of the food we consume by 2030.
It was an ambitious goal that would require each northeast state to complete a benchmark assessment, or Local Food Count, to determine how much locally-sourced food its residents consumed. The coalition also recommended that each state should outline a strategic plan for getting from point A to point B – to reach the benchmark of 30% in just a few short years.
New Hampshire’s Local Food Count estimated that 3.1% of the food Granite Staters ate in 2022 was produced in-state. Now, as the result of collaboration across more than 20 food and agriculture organizations that comprise the New Hampshire Food Alliance, a roadmap for strengthening New Hampshire’s local food system has emerged.
The 2025 New Hampshire Food and Agriculture Strategic Plan outlines 140 recommendations for tackling a range of challenges facing agriculture stakeholders, from bottlenecks in the meat-processing capacity of USDA-certified facilities to labor shortages resulting from the seasonal nature of fruit and vegetable farming.
Nicole Cardwell, director of the New Hampshire Food Alliance, said the plan is “the first step toward the true and deep collaboration needed to strengthen our food system.”
The plan first illustrates the stakes involved with each issue. When it comes to dairy, for instance, the plan notes that, despite contributing to the second largest sector of the agriculture industry in New Hampshire, dairy farmers often confront volatile milk prices and limited access to support from veterinarians and equipment mechanics. New Hampshire dairy farmers don’t have a producer advocacy group, and the price of feed, which is set globally, is prone to fluctuations.
Crucially, it proposes practical approaches to addressing each concern, like establishing a tier-based pricing system for milk and establishing a New Hampshire Dairy Association to represent dairy farmers’ interests.
Each issue brief, authored by various contributors, including specialists at University of New Hampshire (UNH) Cooperative Extension, will serve as a “comprehensive playbook we can look to for guidance in the years ahead,” according to Shawn Jasper, commissioner of the Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food.
“In order for food grown, raised and caught in New Hampshire to remain a fixture in the lives and culture of Granite Staters, everyone has a role to play,” Jasper said.
