Sustainable agriculture: sustainable food: growth and innovation.

• Position: HEALTHY COMMUNITIES & CLF VENTURES

Last spring, CLF President John Kassel stood in a field near Rutland, VT. Next to him was a young farmer who was stunned to be out plowing his fields in March. At that time, the fields are usually knee-deep muddy, if not still covered in snow, ice or the slow-melting crust of the long winter. He was stunned: if he plows and plants now, what's going to happen next? How will his crops respond? Should he wait for something more like a "normal" planting season to return?

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As we all confront the realities of a changing climate, we all face questions like these--and not just if you're a farmer. Food affects us all. So too does this question: How can we harvest food by sustainable means and deliver it at reasonable costs, so as to support thriving communities across New England? This question, and its answers, have been motivating CLF's Sustainable Farm and Food Initiative and work by CLF Ventures (CLFV) for the past year.

The work began in what many found to be a surprising place: vacant lots in urban areas. Working in close collaboration CLF and CLFV released "Growing Green", a report that, for the first time, examined the incredible potential for urban farming in the city of Boston. For instance, the report found that 50 acres, a small portion of the vacant land available for farming, has the potential to create 130 direct jobs and produce enough food to feed 3,600 people over a six month retail season. Further, in addition to a reduction in net greenhouse gas emissions, urban farming addresses the crucial issues of food security, food access, and community development.

Identifying opportunities like this for innovation in our food system is a core part of our work. To that end, CLFV partnered with Federal Street Advisors, a wealth management advisory firm for families and foundations, to co-sponsor a regional summit, financing a Sustainable Food System for New England. The event fostered discussion on greater investments in the innovations that will transform our food system into one that is more sustainable, more resilient to climate change, and more self-reliant.

Removing barriers, such as financing, that prevent New Englanders from across the region from accessing local foods is an important part of this work. In early 2012, small farmers in Vermont faced challenges as capital from traditional sources recovering from the credit crunch was still slow to reach their operations. As a result, Vermont farmers turned to...