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Food and Agrarian Systems
Indiana University Bloomington

Indiana Value Chain Network

What is a Food Value Chain?

According to the USDA, Food value chains are “strategic alliances between farmers or ranchers and other supply-chain partners that deal in significant volumes of high-quality, differentiated food products and distribute rewards equitably across the chain.”

USDA FVC Pub

What is Value Chain Coordination?

According to research conducted between the USDA and Wallace Center, Value Chain Coordination is defined as, "a market-based approach to developing local and regional food systems that better serve communities. Value chain work includes the development of collaborative ties among businesses along the food supply chain, with the expectation that the economic position of these supply chain members improves. Value Chain Coordination describes leveraging the soft infrastructure, in the form of skills, competencies and relationships, in a food value chain. With a strong soft infrastructure, individuals and organizations are far more readily able to acquire and utilize hard infrastructure in their communities." Multiple people from nonprofit, public, and private sectors can perform value chain coordination roles in a community food system, however it is increasingly important and impactful to have a dedicated professional to focus on local and regional food value chains to ensure equity and access to markets, in particular those who have been marginalized or shut out of market channels.

What is a Value Chain Professional?

Value chain professionals (VCPs) wear many hats - they work with food suppliers (farmers and food businesses) and buyers (chefs, food services, distributors) to create market channels based on shared values and shared risk. VCPs first and foremost build trust with stakeholders to establish support. Ultimately, VCPs build social and economic networks, laying the foundation for long-term, local business to business connectivity critical for local and rural economies. Value chain professionals serve as a central point of contact for food system stakeholders in the region where they work.

Description of the video:

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value chain work is important because it's a sustainable way of making a difference a wealth creating value chain
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brings together a whole host of partners to meet a market demand with an intentional focus on low-income
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individuals but also on creating more than financial wealth
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we're working together as a network and so everyone could share the risk but they could also share the rewards basically we're bringing everybody
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together who would be involved in in the process from start to finish some are going to be what we call transactional
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partners they're actually essential in the creation of the product but then you also have support partners that provide financing that provides specific
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training and support that that are really bolstering the value chain it's just like a supply chain in full system
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there's the grower who's growing all these great fruits and vegetables and it goes through this whole process all the way to the retail outlet to
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where the consumer can purchase it it's every step in between there that is the value chain at some point
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there has to be a designated coordinator the coordinator is the inviter the facilitator because
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you want to identify the partners that could make this work what we see the value chain is is another tool that they can use in their
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current work to help strengthen it to help take it to a different level and to really get them to focus on the assets
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of the community you keep taking the value chain further and further to see are there opportunities here that we can root locally where we can create local
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ownership we're not only doing this for agriculture or growing a product or to make money this is about changing livelihoods
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the goals of economic development when we do it in this concerted intentional way is to really create systemic change and
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to provide control of that change to individuals in those communities or neighborhoods i think the value chain
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approach is you realize your community needs fixing how can we do it together

Why a value chain?

Farmers and buyers may have certain values they are seeking in food stuffs that are part of their decision on whether or not to buy. Values can include: local, fresh, high-quality, pasture-based meats, certified Organic, regional, non-GMO. Values can also be part of an adopted standards program such as the Cool Food Pledge, Anchors in Action, the Good Food Purchasing Program, Healthcare Without Harm, or the Green Restaurant Association. These programs have standards and metrics that enable buyers to establish criteria for purchasing that will help them choose more sustainably produced food.

The Indiana Value Chain Network is generating economic return for farmers throughout Indiana. New and established value chain professionals work to connect food system businesses together for shared benefit. If you would like to procure or supply local food and plug into our value chain network, please get in touch with any of our VCPs or Network coordinator, Jodee Smith, ellett@iu.edu.
  • 2019
    Established Indiana Value Chain Network with USDA grant
  • $1.4 million
    2018-2021 sales
  • $7.7 million
    2021-22 sales

Based on 2026 data

Audrey began her journey with environmental stewardship in agriculture at Teter Organic Farm in Noblesville, Indiana. Teter Farm's goals of regenerative agriculture, invasive species management, community building and creating an equitable food system spoke to everything Audrey valued. As an intern at Teter all throughout her college career at IU, she was able to play a large role in Teter's growth. With Teter Farm as a foundation for her career and passions, she is now working as a Value Chain Coordinator at Indiana University in Bloomington. She is excited to take on the work of local food procurement and to build strong relationships amongst farmers and buyers in the Uplands region.

Elissa conducts data collection and analysis alongside other research activities, mainly for the FARMWISE Indiana network and additionally for related projects to strengthen resilient food systems throughout Indiana. Her work focuses on institutional local food purchasing, values-based food procurement, and food security/justice. Some of her other research and work has focused on evaluating the equity of food access in historically-marginalized neighborhoods, assessing the retail food landscape of Indianapolis for low-income consumers, and examining college student food insecurity both locally and nationally.

Jodee Smith is the Resilient Food Systems Manager with the Environmental Resilience Institute at Indiana University. She manages the FARMWISE Indiana project and coordinates the FARMWISE Indiana Network of value chain professionals who work to re-regionalize Indiana's food systems through greater farm to institution market channels. For more than 12 years, Jodee has worked across geographies and issues to create change using a systems approach. For the past 7 years, she has coordinated the Indiana Value Chain Network that launched the FARMWISE project that will more intentionally coordinate regional food supply chain efforts. Jodee earned her BA in Botany from the University of Montana and an MS in Plant Biology from the University of California, Davis.

Laura is an Evansville native and resident. The granddaughter of a farmer, she understands the pride that comes with working in agriculture. Upon earning her B.S. in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Purdue University in 2010, Laura landed in school nutrition as a corporation nutrition department director in both rural and urban districts. Quickly seeing the impact opportunities that school nutrition can have, she later held a program coordinator position for a school wellness initiative for over ten years. Creating and implementing nutrition and physical activity strategies for schools across Southwest Indiana earned Laura valuable experience in systems-level approaches. In 2016, she earned her School Nutrition Specialist credential through the national School Nutrition Association. In this role with ERI, she is ready to guide institutional buyers towards values-based purchasing, creating new markets for Hoosier producers and ensuring healthful eating experiences for the Southwest region. She focuses on values-based food procurement for institutions as part of the FARMWISE Indiana project and the Value Chain Network.

Greg grew up in South Bend, IN. With an early passion for the natural world taking long walks through the woods behind his house, he also helped with his family garden in picking green beans and raspberries, canning home-grown tomatoes, and collecting eggs from the chickens. Along with fond memories of visiting his grandparents on their Bremen Farm, Greg developed an early appreciation for growing food. He earned a B.S. degree in Biological Sciences from Purdue University and then a M.S. degree in Environmental Science at Indiana University Bloomington. Greg became an AmeriCorps Member with the Elkhart EnviroCorps where he helped implement community environmental projects. After years of teaching Math and Science courses at community colleges around Michiana, Greg help start and develop the Purple Porch Co-op in downtown South Bend – first as a once/week farmers market with an online ordering system; and then evolving into a retail grocery store and cafe that continues to be an important source for local food in South Bend. The South Bend, Indiana experience would not be complete without an experience working at the University of Notre Dame – where Greg was a Program Manager in the Office of Sustainability where he collaborated to develop a new campus recycling program. Greg is excited to bring his experiences of food sales, relationship-building, sustainability and systems thinking to help support and grow the Indiana Value Chain Network – focusing his attention on the counties of North Central Indiana.

Jen was raised in Greensburg, Indiana, in a farming family. After earning her B.S. in Engineering from Purdue University, Jen began applying her technical skills across key functions in manufacturing, purchasing, distribution, planning, customer service, quality, continuous improvement, and product development. Jen is a native plant enthusiast and a farmers market regular who has made connections with farmers and other people in the local food movement over the years. More recently, Jen has had the opportunity to dive deep into the nuances of a local food business at Empower Juice + Yoga in Logansport, IN, further broadening her appreciation for our regional food systems. Jen works alongside coordinators in the Indiana Value Chain Network focusing on values-based food procurement and actions in the Indiana food system as part of the FARMWISE Indiana project.

Rachel grew up in Wabash County, Indiana, outside of North Manchester. Her hometown hosts the examples of businesses at both ends of the food production spectrum- from large commodity crops and egg-laying operations, to under 100 acre diversified homesteads. After studying Geography at Valparaiso University and gaining many mentors  through work at local restaurants, distributors, and with local food advocates, she has realized the depth of impact that the industry of agriculture has on our culture, physical health, and overall wellbeing. Her passion for small businesses and sustainable agriculture took her to work the last 3.5 years  with Market Wagon, building producer relationships within their online farmers market. Prior to that she worked with local, national, and international brands at Indiana Beverage in sales and marketing roles.  Rachel is now working on statewide value chain coordination as Indiana State Department of Agriculture's first Food Distribution Manager. She is thrilled to view this work through this lens as she grows partnerships, identifies challenges and successes, and continues to support a more resilient food system.

RBrandenburg@isda.IN.gov

I have been farming for 10 yrs in Fayette County Indiana. What I didn’t keep for my household I gave away and always the first fruits to churches and other places in need. When Covid hit, I upscaled my produce and started distributing food to the community which then led me to the various food banks and joining the food council. I am now one of the VCC’s for the LFPA BIPOC program.

Mia is the value chain professional for Southeast Indiana, focused on the Local Food Procurement Agreement program.

mteraybrown@gmail.com

Joseph Fischer works with growers to enhance product availability through the Fischer Farms purchasing platform and visits with buyers to actively discuss needs and products.

We at Fischer Farms are a Southern Indiana producer of all natural beef. Over the last 150 years, six generations of Fischers have farmed our rolling hills. About 15 years ago, we started selling directly to customers with the mission of making it easier for customers to source local, natural, sustainable meat. We partner with our neighbors to supply pork, turkey, eggs, produce, and other products. Our goal is to make it easier for both customers and producers to get a wide range of fresh, top quality products on the plates of restaurants and the shelves of retail stores.

We are excited to partner with other Indiana Value Chain Coordinators to work to strengthen the network of farmers and wholesale customers. We believe that a stronger network is more capable of addressing the perceived barriers of local food sourcing. We believe we can make a significant impact on the environment, economies, and overall food quality in our communities.

joseph@ffnatural.com
(812) 630-3609

Anna Holloway will serve both producers seeking to enter the school markets and schools searching to procure local foods.

aholloway1@health.in.gov

Veronica Jalomo supports schools in providing fresh, locally sourced foods in the meal programs while also facilitating projects and activities that enable students to learn about local agriculture and healthy eating.

veronica@nwifoodcouncil.org

With an extensive background in the restaurant and brewery world, Anna decided to pursue her own dreams and start her own beverage company followed by a cafe in 2014. What started as a small passion project brewing kombucha for friends and family, turned into a full blown business in a matter of months. Anna loved traveling throughout our tri state area delivering kombucha to restaurants, groceries and bars for the 7 years she did it. Her Cafe in Gary Indiana's beach side community, Miller brought her a lot of joy and allowed her the ability to be directly in communication with the community. Her Cafe was a gathering place for a wide range of people from State Senators to the transient traveler. During the pandemic, Anna decided to close the doors of both businesses and start a new career with the NWI Food Council. Here she is still able to pursue the projects and outreach that bring her joy and fulfill some of her life's purpose, while also providing stability for her and her family.

It all started with making small batch kombucha in her home, and next thing she knew Anna was bottling and boxing hundreds of jars of locally made “booch” in Gary, Indiana each week, supplying small businesses throughout NWI and eventually even opening her own cafe and kombucha bar in the Miller Beach neighborhood.  Anna is deeply committed to improving healthy lifestyle options for families in NWI, and lifting up local food entrepreneurs in the process!

anna@nwifoodcouncil.org

Allyssaas love for food started at a very young age. She began working in the restaurant industry and attending culinary classes in high school. After moving to Chicago and experiencing shopping at their beautiful farmer's markets she learned just how diverse real food actually is. She now lives on a homestead of her own growing and preserving a large portion of my family's food and raising ducks and chickens for eggs. Her passion now is cooking with seasonal whole foods either grown by herself or locally sourced. After eighteen years of working in the restaurant industry, she now gets the opportunity to combine her love for cooking and local food as the Farm to Chef Coordinator of the NWI Food Council.

allyssa@nwifoodcouncil.org

Porchea McGuire stands for food justice and community engagement. She is working to create equitable access to fresh, sustainable produce and foster strong relationships between BIPOC producers, farmers and food businesses. 

porchea@nwifoodcouncil.org
(219) 316-4556

The NWI Food Council is a multi-stakeholder alliance that works to build a just, sustainable, and thriving locally-oriented food system for all in Northwest Indiana through networking, education, advocacy, and projects. We are a grassroots nonprofit organization that launched in December 2015 as a result of community input at the Local Food Summit held in April 2015. Through programs, projects, and partnerships, we seek to address the gaps in our regional food system and value chain.

By working collaboratively to rebuild our local food chains and infrastructure, we will ensure that the local food system secures a central role in a transitioning and vibrant local economy. We are committed to providing innovation and leadership in food systems work, with an eye toward food security as a pathway to the improved resilience of our community.

Just as the farmers we work with prioritize the stewardship of their land and sustainable food production, the Council values the stewardship of our local communities and environments in building a more sustainable and resilient region. Improving market access for local farmers and producers will ensure the continued growth of these individuals and their businesses, thus emphasizing a shift to sustainable industries. Our seven-county region spends nearly $2.3 billion dollars on food each year, but less than 2% of that purchasing power is directed towards our region’s farmers and food producers ($3.7million). Institutional and wholesale purchasing programs are uniquely poised to support and accelerate the growth of the local food economy by the sheer scale of their purchasing power.

virginia@nwifoodcouncil.org
(317) 250-1005

The Food & Growers Association (FGA) is the oldest local food farmer organization in Indiana and continues to support the regional food economy in SE Indiana through multiple initiatives. The FGA was formed to respond to the needs of farmers, individuals and health professionals who see the connections between community health improvement, sustainable agriculture and a viable local economy in Southeastern Indiana.  The FGA is supporting, growing and promoting a local food system to enable area farmers to market their products to individual consumers and institutional buyers.

One way the FGA is supporting the purchase of locally raised and grown items is their support of Hoosier Harvest Market SE.  This is an online market operated as a farmer owned cooperative.  The farmers determine what is sold and the price of each item.  This sub-hub is a way for diversified food growers and producers to tap into a regional aggregation and distribution system.

The FGA also realizes the many hurdles, questions and support a new and/or small farmer needs.  We specialize in providing individual technical assistance, resources and support for farmers in our region.  We are working to create a network of small farmers for peer support and sharing of resources.

In addition to the focused efforts of Pam Rieke as the value chain professional, the FGA realizes the value of high quality, nutrient dense, locally grown food for all people.  One way the FGA is working to increase the accessibility of local food to everyone is building and supporting community gardens and orchards in the communities we work with.

If you are an a farmer, individual, restaurant,or institution interested in supplying or purchasing local food please reach out to Pam.

pamelarieke@gmail.com 
(513) 703-8802

Heather Tallman has been working within the Indiana Agriculture value chain for over 10 years, specifically with value-added producers and agriculture marketing.

heather@ffnatural.com

Becca Tuholski has an undeniable passion for local food systems, resilient community building, and community education.  From her time as an Agricultural Science Teacher at LaPorte High School, to her ongoing career as a beginning farmer alongside her husband on their farm (Tuholski Produce), to her current role as the Local Food Access Coordinator with the NWI Food Council—Becca is dedicated to strengthening our food system from the ground up.

becca@nwifoodcouncil.org