Collaborative Aggregation and marketing models for New England farms

New England farmers and community-based organizations are collaborating to market products from multiple farms through models like online farmers markets, multi-farm CSAs, food hubs, and cooperative farm stores. These approaches can improve convenience, choice, and flexibility for customers and reduce time for farmers—potentially expanding market access for small and mid-sized farms.
👉 Learn more in the NH Strategic Plan issue brief.

Our team hosted a series of educational workshops to foster peer learning and networking among farmers and stakeholders.
📄 Read our first synthesis report here.
📄 A report for agricultural service providers is coming soon.

We also conducted a comparative case study of four collaborative marketing models (e.g., food hub, multi-farm CSA, cooperative farm store) to identify shared challenges and opportunities in their organizational structure. Reports coming soon.

Additionally, we led a financial assessment of these models to explore:

  • What are the biggest financial challenges?

  • How do operational changes affect viability?

  • Which adjustments or investments offer the best return on investment? ​

📊 Check out the final financial report here.

This project is funded by the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education program, grant # LNE22-436-AWD0000049 and the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station, Award # NH00695-M.