Collaborative Aggregation and Marketing for New England Farms

Collaborative Aggregation and marketing models for New England farms

Farmers and community-based organizations across New England are working together to develop collaborative, multi-farm marketing models such as online farmers’ markets, food hubs, cooperative farm stores, and community supported agriculture (CSAs). These models can increase market access and reduce marketing burdens, while offering customers greater convenience and choice.
👉 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 synthesis of the workshops here.

We also conducted a comparative case study of four collaborative marketing models to identify shared challenges and opportunities in their organizational structure. The analysis is based on in-depth interviews from 2024-2025 with 32 farmers, 20 customers, and 8 managers and staff across the four different models in New Hampshire. These insights offer actionable steps to help build more resilient and sustainable collaborations.

We summarize the insights from this study in two research briefs. In Brief #1, we identify common operational challenges, along with the strategies they use to navigate those and other related challenges. In Brief #2, we identify common challenges in the relationships between farmers and their customers, along with the strategies they use to navigate those and other related challenges.

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?

📊 We are planning a training session for agricultural service providers to support their capacity to offer technical support for farmers and other end-users who need guidance on ensuring the financial viability of collaborative marketing models.

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.