SUSTAINABLE CAPE-CENTER FOR AGRICULTURAL PRESERVATION & EDUCAT

HISTORY: SUSTAINABLE CAPE - AN INTEGRATIVE MODEL
Since 2009 Sustainable CAPE has focused on building a Deeply-Rooted Food System on Cape Cod through educational programming. By linking school garden education with farmers market food access programs, we comprehensively connect local food, public health & our environment.
As an agricultural organization, we recognize that local food provides a positive solution to a host of community issues-- and that teaching people to eat healthfully and to raise food for themselves benefits our region in myriad ways. The true strength lies in collaboration: together our school and farmers market programs grow a deeply-rooted food system that enables connection, education, change, health equity and opportunity throughout our community & beyond.
By introducing schoolchildren and their families, veterans and elders to local farmers, farmers’ markets and healthful produce we increase utilization of our food access programs. Sharing information with at-risk neighbors about private, federal and state funds available to purchase local fruits and vegetables increases the affordability of freshly harvested food, boosts our farmers' bottom line, recirculates funds in our local economy and promotes health. Additionally, data demonstrates that increased fruit and vegetable consumption decreases long-term healthcare costs.
To date, Sustainable CAPE has stimulated more than $2,300,000 in spending on Barnstable County food. Our education reaches more than 2,400 students each year and our training, technical assistance and funding supports a coalition of 8 farmers markets from Provincetown to Falmouth and across to the Islands. Together these programs work to improve local food access, advance health equity, and to create a more robust and resilient local food system for all.

PROGRAMS: Sustainable CAPE comprehensively connects local food, public health and our environment. To accomplish our work, we hire program coordinators with lived experience from the communities we serve to connect two primary focus areas: farmers’ markets and educational children's gardens. Programs include:
1. The Cape & Islands Farmers' Market Coalition
The Sustainable CAPE Farmers' Market Coalition creates a community of Farmers’ Markets to share best practices and expertise. We founded the coalition to provide funding, training, technical assistance & Sustainable CAPE Food Equity Interns to markets so they may more easily implement nutrition incentive programs, simplifying their use for market managers, vendors and customers alike. Programs draw private, federal and state funds to our region to strengthen regional farmers and fishermen. We promote the coalition so markets thrive and every socioeconomic group benefits from increased access to & affordability of local food.
Nutritional Incentive Programs* (NI) for food access include:
a. Grow-a-Row for Neighbors (developed by Sustainable CAPE & our teen Food Equity Volunteers)
b. Bonus Match Programs for SNAP, WIC, Seniors (developed by Sustainable CAPE for SC Coalition)
c. The Healthy Incentive Program (HIP) - State run program, Francie served on the MA Steering Committee for development & launch of the program across the state
d. Project Gratitude for veterans (developed by Sustainable CAPE)
e. Fresh Kids’ Awards for school children (developed by Sustainable CAPE)
f. Fruit & Vegetable Rx Program, (developed by Sustainable CAPE in partnership with Outer Cape Health Services)
These markets are currently participating in the Farmers Market Coalition & offer nutrition incentives: Provincetown, Truro, Wellfleet, Orleans, Harwich, Falmouth, Sandwich & Nantucket.
2. The Truro and Provincetown Educational Farmers’ Markets
We manage these markets to serve as incubators for developing new food programs and partnerships, which then spread across the Cape & Islands through our Coalition. We offer community-led education, a wide range of programs for improved food access and affordability, consults with nutritionists, as well as a venue for vendors to sell products grown, raised, caught, or produced in Barnstable County. The two markets connect and benefit every socio-economic level with a particular focus on low-income neighbors - comprehensively working to create increased food security for all.
3. Farm to School Programs
Sustainable CAPE works with over 1100 students in elementary schools from Brewster through Provincetown. We grow food with children and connect it to the academic curriculum, the cafeteria, the school nurse's health lessons, and environmental sustainability. We run Farm and Farmers' Market Field Trips to introduce students to their local harvesters and we share farmers’ market nutrition incentive information with all families. During the pandemic we re-focused our children’s gardens on maximum production, distributing fruits and vegetables to schools and pantries for families in need and created local food educational materials for 2400 students. We continue to share garden curriculum widely while growing food with children for their families and supplying fresh-picked produce to pantries.
4. The Children's Community Garden
Our after-school & summer Children's Community Garden grows year-round organic produce with participating K-6 school children from Provincetown through Orleans. Children plant, cultivate, eat & enjoy local fruits and vegetables - resulting in improved health & a formative early connection to produce and the environment. "Garden Goody Bags" share what the children have grown with families. Young gardeners document their learning each year by creating an art exhibition that travels the Cape, sharing child-created lessons on sustainable, healthy practices for our bodies and the environment. The traveling exhibit has over 15,000 viewers annually.
In summary, connecting schools and farmers’ markets is a critical step in addressing our region’s food security. Together with our partners we fight hunger while supporting local food producers. The availability and affordability of fresh & healthful food expands, neighboring harvesters’ enjoy increased business, & funds recirculate in our local economy. Our goal is a sustainable world that supports healthy food and healthy people - while inclusively enabling everyone to join in its creation.