ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014
The Addison County Relocalization Network’s (ACORN)
mission is to revitalize the health of our land, our local
economy and our local communities to be able to
provide sustainable sources of food, water, energy,
employment, capital and other essential resources.
Dear friends:
In 2015, ACORN will be celebrating our 10th anniversary as a community organization and communities through local food in our southern Champlain Valley region.
Thanks to your support, we have much to celebrate in the healthy growth of our local and food education in our schools. People are beginning to connect the dots.
For a quick overview of our work this year, Click Here to view the Powerpoint presentation from our most recent Annual Meeting.
But we have much more to do. We need large buyers of food like Middlebury College,
commitments to our growers. Only then can we expand sustainable food production food to our children, to our seniors and to our hungry.
In this next year, we will:
• Expand our food education efforts through our Addison County Farm-to-School project to support the launch of Harvest of the Month in every preschool and elementary school in the county.
• Explore the feasibility of launching a pilot Addison County Community Food proj ect to harvest and process gleaned local crops with volunteer labor in ServSafe kitchens for distribution to community foodshelves. Project partners include HOPE, MNFC, the Middlebury Community Care Coalition, the Hannaford Career Center, and the VT Department of Health.
• Explore new routes for the 2015 Tour de Farms in the northeast corner of Addison County.
ACORN
Sustainable Living Expo to
promote local food, energy and culture and their importance to the human and natural health of our communities.
Our work would not be possible without YOU. ACORN derives 75% of its budget di rectly from our community, from participation in our events, individual donations and local business sponsors, and with support from farms, schools, community partners and food businesses.
THANK YOU
Sincerely,
Jonathan Corcoran
Board of Directors: Nicole Burke (Middlebury), Rich Carpenter (Cornwall),
Jonathan Corcoran: Executive Director (Monkton), David Dolginow: Board Chair (Middlebury), Annie Harlow: Vice Chair (Bristol), Emily Hoyler (Ripton),
Project Highlights: Over the last 5 years:
• Nearly 3,000 people have ridden the Tour de Farms cycling through some locally grown and produced foods and beverages.
• Nearly 40 entrepreneurs have pitched their businesses at our Financing the
Working Landscape
and service providers and networked with peers. • Since 2010, Stone Soup
community each year at a different high school; in 2014, it expanded into a regional conference that attracted 125 participants from over 40 schools at Middlebury College.
Guide to Local Food and Farms is supported by 80 local
and statewide businesses and organizations and features a directory of 200 local farms and food producers.
Sustainable Living Expo in 2014 which
was supported by 12 sponsors, and featured 80 exhibitors and 40 workshops. • We launched Addison County Farm-to-School in 2013, enrolled every elementary school in the county in Harvest of the Month and maintained 9 school gardens through the summer.
• We hired a new Executive Director and a new Communications Manager in of 2,700 individuals and organizations through our website and our monthly “Cultivating Connections” newsletter.
• We partnered with UVM, ACEDC and private consultants to present
EXPO
Addison County Farm to School:
and workshops and to support gaps like summer care for school gardens.
Stone Soup Summit:
learning and networking opportunities for parents, teachers, foodservice staff, administrators and farmers.
Guide to Local Food & Farms:
Our annual guide provides comprehensive information about our
Sustainable Living Expo:
sustainable living in the Champlain Valley.
Financing the Working Landscape:
An annual conference for food, farm and forestry businesses offers networking opportunities with capital and service providers to promote
Tour de Farms:
raises
sustainable transportation.
Financial Report:
keeping overhead low, focusing on projects that were revenue generators and
Communications Manager and by paying project managers.
Chart: ACORN Financials 2010-14
As seen in the chart, revenues have grown steadily from 2010 to 2014. In the capacity. Annual surpluses peaked in 2010 and have progressively declined and a similar trajectory but are projected to close in 2014 at a healthy $7,500.
Financial Report Continued:
Chart: 2014 Sources of Funds
Chart: 2014 Uses of Funds
Approximately half of our funding comes from project net income. Each project is accounted for separately. The project is not included in the operating statement until all revenue and expens es have been booked and the net income transferred. This approach is practical because we have multiple project partners with whom we share revenues. On a gross revenue basis, we man aged total project revenues of $90,000 in 2014. About 60% of capacity to grow. Another quarter is 15% allocated to project expenses, marketing and G&A.
