Hello friend,
Nationally, value chain coordination is finding a permanent home. Why? Because it works.
USDA funding, along with numerous national and regional food systems organizations, state agencies, and industry leaders, is demonstrating that smaller regional food systems need people who can build networks and reconnect farmers, buyers, and the businesses that operate in the middle of the supply chain. Technology is a great tool, but it cannot build trust and understanding. People need to work with people to build relationships that ultimately lead to sales.
There are numerous barriers to buying and supplying food between a farmer and a school, for example, even when that school is right down the road from the farm gate. Value chain professionals help lower those barriers and create the connections needed to build a vibrant Indiana food system.
However, building networks, managing relationships, and connecting people are difficult things to measure numerically. At FARMWISE Indiana, we often share our work through metrics such as miles driven, meetings attended, meetings hosted, and person-to-person connections made.
But what about the farmers and the sales?
FARMWISE Indiana offers an opportunity to any institution to calculate their Direct Farm Impact using purchasing data. Whether products are purchased through distributors, food hubs, or directly from farms, we can now calculate the financial impact institutions are having on Indiana farmers and the state's food economy.
Recently, we completed an evaluation of Indiana University Bloomington Dining's food purchases from the 2024- 25 academic year, and the results are in: IU Dining spent 23% of its food budget purchasing from 51 Indiana farms and food businesses. Of that $4 million, $1.4 million went directly to Indiana farmers. That's Direct Farm Impact.
We were so excited by this finding that we reached out to Vickie Coffey at Richland-Bean Blossom Community School Corporation. Last year, Vickie spent 27% of her food budget- more than $114,000-with 55 Indiana businesses, with $99,147 going directly to Indiana farmers.
These results do not happen by accident. Both organizations have spent more than a decade intentionally shifting purchasing dollars and seeking out local businesses and farms that sell directly or through distribution partners.
As part of our suite of services, FARMWISE Indiana can help you connect with local suppliers- and we can help you measure your Direct Farm Impact. Reach out today to start the conversation.
