By Carina Huang, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets Farm to Institution Program Intern
Just Cut, as simple as it sounds, is a social enterprise that lightly processes local produce and supplies it to institutional kitchens like hospitals, schools, and university cafeterias across Vermont and western New Hampshire. The Just Cut program is managed by the Center for an Agricultural Economy (CAE) and is based in the Vermont Food Venture Center in Hardwick, Vermont.
In local institutions like hospitals and university dining halls, large bags of peeled and diced potatoes and shredded carrots are in high demand. “On a daily basis we serve 3,000 to 4,000 meals, and the ability to use Just Cut and their already processed product saves us time and labor and we are able to use produce from local farms.” said James Rice, the Food & Nutrition manager of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.
Before collaborating with Just Cut, some local farms have faced challenges supplying produce in forms and quantities that meet the demand of institutional markets like schools, hospitals, and universities. Just Cut opened a new market for them. “We are not a big enough farm to truck to institutions, so being able to work with Just Cut and have them handle UVM Dining Services, for instance, is fantastic.” said Matt Linehan, who is the owner of Sparrow Arc Farm and participates in the Just Cut program.
At the beginning of the growing season, Just Cut works with growers to plan production amounts, prices, and establishes good faith agreements to commit to making those purchases in the coming year. This arrangement works well for the partner farms and provides an important and consistent revenue source for the eleven partner farms that they contract with. “Being a local farmer, we really appreciate that Just Cut is committed to purchasing Vermont grown potatoes when possible. The Just Cut team is very pleasant to work with and understand the uncertainties farmers have to deal with. The good faith agreements guarantee fair pricing - one the few guarantees we enjoy,” noted Bob Chappelle of Chappelle’s Potatoes in Williamstown, VT.
In May 2023, the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets awarded a $27,500 Farm to Institution Market Development Grant to CAE to help grow the Just Cut Program – increasing farmer sales and adding new institution partners. The project ended in July 2024, and the grant project resulted in a 35 percent increase in the dollar amount that CAE paid to regional farms for Just Cut production, from $97,363 during the '22-'23 season to $131,751 during the '23-'24 season. Additionally, 35 new schools started purchasing local food from Just Cut, meaning that the students and staff in those schools have increased access to local food compared to before this grant project. A small sample of the institutions currently serving Just Cut produce include Hardwick Elementary, Danville School, Enosburg Falls High School, Hartland Elementary, and Twinfield Union High School.
CAE wants the public to know that K-12 students, college students, and hospital patients & staff across Vermont are eating Just Cut products, and it is possible to serve local food in institutional kitchens. Vermont takes pride in its locally produced food, yet its accessibility varies widely. Just Cut improves the accessibility of local food for populations that have been previously neglected, ensuring that more individuals have access to healthy, nutritious food while supporting the local agricultural economy.
The Farm to Institution Market Development Grant is designed to support market development opportunities for local farms, with a focus on Vermont institutional markets. The FY25 Farm to Institution Market Development Grant application closes on October 23, 2024 at 1:59 PM. Learn more about this grant and the Farm to School, Early Childhood, and Institution program at agriculture.vermont.gov/farmtoschool.
Images in this story were provided by Center for an Agricultural Economy and credited to Kelly Bogel Stokes (top) and Elizabeth Rossano (middle).