Many in attendance expressed concerns over how the model for the
Kingsbury Farm had come to incorporate a commercial component. Although
the Vermont Land Trust and the Vermont Foodbank worked with a steering
committee of community members in the Mad River Valley, the decision was
never opened up to the public.
"We didn't do what I'm doing now," said Sayles. "We didn't reach out to
the whole community and make a significant effort to educate the
community on the change of plan, and I think that was a mistake."
Sayles also took questions regarding the management of money for the
Kingsbury Farm, clearing up misconceptions that funds from the Foodbank
went towards the commercial component.
"The business that Aaron and Suzanne are running is theirs," explained
Sayles. "No funding that the Foodbank has procured has gone into any
parts of the business. The funding has gone into the infrastructure
which is owned by the Foodbank."
Some community members expressed concern about the implications of the
Kingsbury Farm for the local economy. The commercial component of the
farm has put it in competition with other farms already operating in the
area.
In the proposal they submitted for the Kingsbury Farm, current lessees
Aaron Locker and Suzanne Slomin recognized that locally produced, fresh
food tends to be very expensive. Through the commercial component of
their proposal, they aimed to keep their produce affordable.
"Our business model proposed that while the Foodbank would take care of
the more needy, we would try to reach out to the people who just simply
couldn't take that next step to buy local, to buy nutritious, to buy
fresh," said Slomin.
The high cost of locally produced food is an obstacle to many community
members. "We're in a ski town. Real estate prices are really high here.
The person from New York City doesn't mind paying five dollars for a
head of lettuce," said Laura Arnesen. "But I can't afford to feed my
family with a five-dollar head of lettuce every time I want to make a
salad."
Slomin and Locker explained that by building the farm stand at the
Kingsbury Farm, they hoped to improve the market for local farmers. The
facility includes refrigeration and a kitchen. They hoped the stand
would serve the farming community of The Valley.
"We wanted to be able to buy somebody else's sweet corn and resell it.
We wanted to create a market," said Slomin. "We didn't want to grow
everything for ourselves."
"I would absolutely love to grow like 12 things," said Locker. "We would
love to have other farmers pick a couple of crops and sell them in our
store."
The Kingsbury Farm is of great value to the Mad River Valley, not just
to the community but also to the tourism industry. Win Smith spoke of
the farm as a gateway to Sugarbush Resort.
"The people that we're attracting really feel something is different
here. It's the community, it's the farms, it's the scenery, it's the
aesthetics, it's the towns, it's really the completeness of this
Valley," said Smith. "We have a real interest in preserving the farms."
Despite the challenges that have arisen around the Kingsbury Farm, most
community members remain supportive of the objective to serve the
Vermont Food Bank. Said Bobbi Rood, "For a long time, people living this
way haven't had fresh vegetables to eat."
{loadnavigation}
