Kearsarge Food Hub

TO CULTIVATE FOOD SOVEREIGNTY, GROW ENGAGED LEARNERS, AND NURTURE COMMUNITY

1. SWEET BEET MARKET IS A LOCAL FOOD MARKETPLACE COMMITTED TOCONSCIENTIOUS SOURCING, SUPPORTING LOCAL AND REGIONAL PRODUCERS, AND PROVIDING HEALTHY FOODS TO THE COMMUNITY. WE PRIORITIZE SOURCING LOCAL, SEASONAL, AND HANDMADE GOODS FROM GROWERS AND PRODUCERS WITHIN OUR HYPER-LOCAL NETWORK (50 MILES). AS AN ENTERPRISE ARM OF OUR NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION, THE MARKET IS ONE ASPECT OF A DIVERSE REVENUE MATRIX THAT FUNDS OUR MISSION-BASED WORK IN FOOD ACCESS AND SECURITY, FARM-BASED EDUCATION, GROWING NEW FARMERS, AND NURTURING A HEALTHY COMMUNITY. IN 2021, WE SOURCED PRODUCTS FROM SEVENTEEN HYPER-LOCAL PRODUCE FARMS AND 90+ OTHER INDEPENDENT LOCAL FARMERS AND PRODUCERS, PLUS THREE DISTRIBUTION-TYPE FOOD HUBS AND A ONE REGIONAL DISTRIBUTOR. MORE THAN $215,000 OF FOOD PRODUCTS WERE PURCHASED FROM LOCAL FARMERS AND FISHERS.

SWEET BEET CAFE PRODUCES HEALTHY AND NOURISHING SCRATCH-MADE FOODS UTILIZING FRESH, LOCAL INGREDIENTS SOURCED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE FROM LOCAL FARMERS AND MAKERS, BOTH FOR SALE THROUGH OUR RETAIL CHANNELS AS WELL AS FOR DONATION THROUGH THE FREEDGE AND OTHER PARTNERS. THE CAFE ALSO MAKES USE OF PRODUCTS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE GO TO WASTE FROM OUR FARM AND MARKET IN THE INTEREST OF REDUCING OVERALL FOOD WASTE AND INCREASING ACCESS TO LOCAL FOODS.FOODS.

1. SWEET BEET MARKET IS KEARSARGE FOOD HUB (KFH)'S LOCAL FOOD MARKETPLACE. WE WORK WITH FOOD PANTRIES AND GLEANING ORGANIZATIONS, AND OPERATE A COMMUNITY FREEDGE ON SITE TO PROVIDE CONSISTENT DONATIONS OF FRESH LOCAL PRODUCE, GROCERIES, AND PREPARED MEALS FROM OUR CAFE. IN 2022, KFH SERVED 900+ CLIENTS FROM 6 PANTRIES BY DONATING MORE THAN $95K WORTH OF FOOD, 67% OR 18,275 LBS OF WHICH WAS FRESH PRODUCE. FOOD DISTRIBUTED TO CUSTOMERS AND FOOD INSECURE CLIENTS THROUGH SBM WERE PURCHASED FROM MORE THAN 156 LOCAL AND REGIONAL FARMERS AND FOOD VENDORS.

2. FOOD SECURITY PROGRAM: ONE IN NINE NH RESIDENTS IS FOOD INSECURE, MEANING THAT ONE IN NINE NEIGHBORS STRUGGLE TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE. KFH PARTNERS WITH AREA ORGANIZATIONS AND CULTIVATES COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS TO GET HEALTHY, LOCAL FOOD INTO THE HANDS OF THOSE WHO NEED IT BY PROVIDING CONSISTENT DONATIONS OF FRESH, HIGH QUALITY LOCAL FOODS TO AREA FOOD PANTRIES AND GLEANING ORGANIZATIONS YEAR-ROUND. IN 2021, KFH'S FOOD SECURITY PROGRAM DONATED MORE THAN 21,700 POUNDS OF LOCAL PRODUCE THROUGH FOUR FOOD PANTRIES; HELPED FEED 335 FAMILIES AND 860 INDIVIDUALS; OFFERED $3,500 IN DISCOUNTS TO VETERANS; PROCESSED MORE THAN $5,000 IN SNAP DOLLARS; OPENED THE COMMUNITY FREEDGE WHICH ALLOWS INDIVIDUALS ANONYMOUS TWENTY-FOUR HOUR ACCESS TO HEALTHY, LOCAL FOODS FREE OF CHARGE.

2.THROUGH SWEET BEET CAFE, KFH PROVIDES HEALTHY AND NOURISHING SCRATCH-MADE FOODS USING FRESH INGREDIENTS SOURCED PREDOMINANTLY FROM LOCAL FARMERS AND FOOD VENDORS, BOTH FOR SALE THROUGH OUR RETAIL CHANNELS AS WELL AS FOR DONATION THROUGH OUR ON-SITE FREEDGE. THE CAFE ALSO MAKES USE OF PRODUCTS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE GO TO WASTE FROM THE LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM TO REDUCE OVERALL FOOD WASTE AND INCREASE AFFORDABILITY. IN 2022, 15,486 MEALS WERE DISTRIBUTED, 670+ WERE DONATED THROUGH THE FREEDGE - A VALUE OF APPROXIMATELY $8,690.

3. SWEET BEET FARM IS AN EDUCATIONAL FARM THAT GROWS FLAVORFUL, NUTRIENT-DENSE VEGETABLES FOR MARKET WHILE EXPLORING REGENERATIVE PRACTICES TO NURTURE THE LAND, PURSUING FARM-BASED EDUCATION INITIATIVES TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY, AND HELPING TO GROW FARMERS IN NH. ON THE FARM, KFH OFFERS HANDS-ON LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL AGES, WITH PROGRAMS FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS, APPRENTICESHIPS FOR ADULTS, AND SHARED LEARNING NETWORKS FOR FARMERS AND LIFELONG LEARNERS. THE FARMING METHODS USED AND TAUGHT SUPPORT ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH LOW-IMPACT TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT, ELIMINATING THE USE OF HARMFUL CHEMICALS AND INPUTS, EMPLOYING ECOLOGICALLY-MINDED APPROACHES, AND REDUCING ON-FARM WASTE. IN 2021, THESE FARM EDUCATION PROGRAMS REACHED CLOSE TO 100 STUDENTS THROUGH ON-FARM EDUCATION, SCHOOL VISITS, AND ZOOM PRESENTATIONS; GREW 13,395 POUNDS OF PRODUCE; INCREASED HIGH-TUNNEL BY 133%; INCREASED FIELD PRODUCTION BY 50%.

3. KFH'S SWEET BEET FARM GROWS ORGANIC VEGETABLES WHILE OFFERING FARM-BASED EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS K-12 AND BEYOND, WITH THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF GROWING MORE FARMERS. THE REGENERATIVE FARMING METHODS USED AND TAUGHT SUPPORT ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH LOW-IMPACT TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT, ELIMINATING THE USE OF HARMFUL CHEMICALS AND INPUTS, EMPLOYING ECOLOGICALLY-MINDED APPROACHES, AND REDUCING ON-FARM WASTE. IN 2022, KFH HOSTED MORE THAN 205 STUDENTS THROUGH 5 DISTINCT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ON THE FARM, ALL WHILE PROVIDING MORE THAN 19,425 LBS OF ORGANIC PRODUCE TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY THROUGH SWEET BEET MARKET + CAFE, KFH'S FOOD PANTRY PARTNERS, AND OTHER LOCAL SALES CHANNELS.