Increasing Farmer Access & Power

A plan to strengthen regional economies via transparent and trustworthy supply chains

In recent years, Kitchen Table Advisors recognized a need to expand beyond our core advising program to invest in rebuilding the marketplace around land, markets and capital. As part of this Ecosystem Building work, more defined programming is emerging specifically related to market access for our clients.

Our new path forward in market access is grounded in research funded by a USDA Local Food Promotion Program Planning grant and guided by an opportunity to increase small farmers’ access to larger buyer partners and their supply chains. With a focus on wholesale markets, we are pursuing this opportunity using a Coach + Support, Innovate and Organize framework. What this looks like in practice is extensive collaboration with both nonprofit and procurement partners to identify matchmaking opportunities, grow sales relationships, adapt buying processes and create new supply chains.

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Executive Summary

Learn more about our research, methodology and key findings.

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Connect

To dive in further to our market access work or explore supply chain opportunities, reach out to us.

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Support

Join us in transforming the marketplace alongside small-scale farmers and ranchers.

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Ecosystem Mapping

The following interactive map is the culmination of eight months of targeted research focused on value-chain coordination, otherwise known as market access, which is part of KTA’s broader body of work around Ecosystem Building. Ecosystem Building stems from the recognition that, in addition to individual support of farmers and ranchers, we need to shape the institutions that control land, markets and capital as a means of achieving our vision for the food system. The research project that produced this map focused on assessing how the addition of Northern California-based market access programming to our core work of business advising is necessary and timely. We hope that you will engage with this map to learn a bit more about the value chain that connects farmer and rancher producers to you, and consider ways that you can support through your workplace, network or your own kitchen table.

 

Methodology

In this map we have defined five specific wholesale channels: Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Foodservice, Restaurants, Retail + Grocery, Distributors, and Ecommerce. Within each channel, we surveyed both buyers’ and farmer and rancher clients’ experiences. Based on our survey of KTA’s farmer and rancher clients, we assessed each type’s Pricing, Volume + Consistency, Payment Terms, and Overall Relationship. We then analyzed each assessment and rated the current state of their experience from 1-5 (1 being very poor and 5 being very good), as well as assigned an opportunity rating from 1-5, which represents the potential of the channel if market access programming is successful. For buyers, we conducted extensive interviews with buyer staff and leaders and assigned each buyer a 1-5 rating of their current state and opportunity score, in the categories of their overall Knowledge of regional food systems, Capability to engage in processes that benefit KTA clients, and any Policy they may have to formally empower staff to support regional food systems and/or BIPOC producers.
 

Gratitude

Our deepest appreciation to the farmers and ranchers who shared their perspective, wisdom and time with us throughout the development of this market access programming. We are also grateful to the following organizational partners for their expertise and support. Each contributed valuable time and insight towards concept development, collaborative visioning and review of project plans.

  • Ben Thomas - CAFF

  • Courtney Crenshaw - Healthcare Without Harm

  • Mariela Cedeño and Ciara Segura - Mandela Partners

  • Ryan Power - New Family Farm

  • Christine Coke - Coke Farms

  • Chris Brown - ALBA

  • Nicole Mason - Veritable Vegetable

  • Gwenael Engelskirchen and Gail Feenstra - UC SAREP

  • Tim Page - FEED Sonoma

 

PC: Jonathan Fong, Brenton Gieser, Bryan Patrick, Sol Seeker Farm