National Farm to Institution Metrics Collaborative Proposal

The agreement will assist the Cooperator with implementing a national farm-to-institution metrics project. The Cooperator will oversee efforts to identify three to four key farm-to-institution metrics that are most directly related to farm impact across the United States. The metrics chosen will be replicable and easily integrated into institutional and dining procurement and tracking systems. These metrics, in turn, will support benchmarking and impact measurement by institutions at the national-level, which will contribute to new or expanded markets for the local food sector. As part of this effort, the Cooperator will oversee preliminary research that identifies existing metrics and barriers to standardization; work with steering committee members, distributors, and tracking tool developers to identify three to four key metrics; develop a toolkit on an interactive dashboard of data collection templates, data tracking and reporting protocols, and other pertinent resources stakeholders can use to capture and track metrics; undertake outreach to stakeholders through networks and at conferences; and develop a final report that provides the rationale for the selection of the farm impact metrics and resources for farm-to-institution practitioners to use in data tracking.