Center for an Agricultural Economy

What Center for an Agricultural Economy does

The Center for an Agricultural Economy (CAE) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2004 and headquartered in Hardwick, Vermont, operating an integrated portfolio of programs across the Northeast Kingdom local food system. Its core offerings include the Vermont Food Venture Center (a shared-use commercial kitchen and food business incubator), Just Cut (a farm-to-institution produce processing and distribution program serving K-12 schools, hospitals, and universities), Farm Connex (a logistics service running 15–20 weekly truck routes across 12 of 14 Vermont counties and into western New Hampshire), the Vermont Farm Fund (a revolving loan program that has deployed over $4 million to Vermont farmers and food producers since 2011), and the newly opened 12,500 sq ft Food Hub featuring CO2-based refrigeration, heat-capture technology, and a 400-panel solar array.

CAE serves four overlapping customer segments: farms and food businesses (advising, financing, kitchen access, and distribution), institutional food service buyers (Just Cut produce), K-12 schools and students (Place-Based Education reaching 1,100 students across six schools), and food-insecure community members (Grow Your Own, Produce to Pantries, Pies for People). Its business model blends earned revenue (kitchen rentals, Farm Connex delivery fees, Just Cut product sales, Vermont Farm Fund interest at 3% on builder/new producer loans and 0% on emergency loans, merchandise) with substantial grant funding from federal (USDA, NBRC, Congressionally Directed Spending), state (Working Lands Enterprise Board), and philanthropic (Henry P. Kendall Foundation, VT Community Foundation) sources.

The organization operates with approximately 35 staff across program management, operations, finance, development, and communications functions, governed by a Board of Directors led by Co-Chair Helen Beattie. Recent strategic emphasis has been on infrastructure (Food Hub opening March 2025, Salvation Farms co-location), federal grant capture, and community resilience programming in response to SNAP funding cuts, with $400,000 in federal grants terminated since January 2025 representing a notable funding headwind.

Name

Center for an Agricultural Economy

Legal name

Center for an Agricultural Economy

Website

https://hardwickagriculture.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Center for an Agricultural Economy is a Hardwick, Vermont-based 501(c)(3) non-profit that operates an integrated portfolio of local food system programs — shared-use commercial kitchens, farm-to-institution produce processing (Just Cut), last-mile delivery (Farm Connex), revolving farm loans (Vermont Farm Fund), and the 12,500 sq ft Food Hub — serving Vermont and western New Hampshire farmers, food businesses, schools, hospitals, and community members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural and Local Food System Development Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Institutional Foodservice Distribution (Education, Healthcare, Government) (CRAOABAM)

Keywords

• Shared-use commercial kitchen
• Farm-to-institution supply chain
• Local food distribution
• Agricultural revolving loans
• Food hub operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Hardwick

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Grants and Donations: As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, CAE relies heavily on grant funding from federal, state, and foundation sources including Congressionally Directed Spending awards, NBRC grants, USDA grants, and foundation awards.
2. Vermont Food Venture Center Kitchen Rentals: CAE operates shared-use commercial kitchens available for rent to food entrepreneurs, farmers, and community groups. Rates are published and available for download.
3. Vermont Farm Fund Loan Interest: The Vermont Farm Fund operates as a revolving loan fund, providing Business Builder Loans at 3% interest, Emergency Loans at 0%, and New Producer Loans at 3%, generating interest income.
4. Just Cut Food Processing and Distribution: Just Cut is a social enterprise that purchases, processes, and distributes local produce to institutional buyers, generating revenue through product sales while supporting local farmers.
5. Farm Connex Delivery Services: Farm Connex provides local food logistics and delivery services for Vermont farms and food businesses, operating as a transportation partner that picks up and delivers products across Vermont.
6. CAE Store Merchandise Sales: CAE partners with local artists to sell merchandise including neck warmers and ceramic tumblers, with proceeds supporting CAE programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Center for an Agricultural Economy (CAE) operates an integrated portfolio of local food system services in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, including a shared-use commercial kitchen incubator (Vermont Food Venture Center), a farm-to-institution produce processing and distribution social enterprise (Just Cut), a local food logistics and delivery service (Farm Connex), a revolving farm loan fund (Vermont Farm Fund), and a 12,500 sq. ft. net-zero Food Hub facility providing aggregation, cold/frozen storage, and distribution. CAE also operates place-based education in K-12 schools, food justice and community access programs, and stewards a 15-acre community green space (Atkins Field).

Product overview

The Center for an Agricultural Economy operates as a multi-program non-profit organization offering a portfolio of interconnected food system services. The core offerings include the Vermont Food Venture Center (shared-use commercial kitchen incubator), Just Cut (farm-to-institution produce processing and distribution), Farm Connex (logistics and delivery service), and the Vermont Farm Fund (revolving loan program). These programs are supported by the Food Hub facility providing aggregation and storage, Place-Based Education programming in local schools, Food Justice initiatives including Grow Your Own and Produce to Pantries, and community spaces such as Atkins Field and the Community Room at the Food Hub. Together, these services form an integrated approach to building a resilient local food system in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vermont Food Venture Center (VFVC) Shared-use commercial kitchen facility and business incubator offering three state-of-the-art kitchens for rent to food entrepreneurs, farmers, and community groups, equipped with ovens, stove tops, food processors, steam kettles, fillers, blenders, mixers, peelers, and other processing equipment, available with hourly usage-based pricing.
• Just Cut Farm-to-institution social enterprise that aggregates, inspects, washes, prepares, and delivers Vermont-grown root and storage crops to institutional kitchens including K-12 schools, hospitals, and universities across Vermont and western New Hampshire.
• Farm Connex Local food logistics and delivery service operating 15-20 truck routes weekly across 12 of 14 Vermont counties, providing first- and last-mile pickup and delivery for over 60 farmers and 500+ market locations in Vermont and New Hampshire.
• Vermont Farm Fund Revolving loan fund offering Business Builder Loans ($5,000-$30,000 at 3% interest, 24-48 months), Emergency Loans (up to $15,000 at 0% interest, 36-48 months with up to 12-month deferral for natural disaster losses), and New Producer Loans ($5,000-$20,000 at 3%, 24-60 months) to Vermont farmers and food producers.
• Food Hub 12,500 sq. ft. net-zero facility featuring a 400-panel solar array, CO2-based zero-emission refrigeration with heat capture and recirculation, and cold, frozen, root, and dry storage available by case or pallet to local farms and food producers for short- and long-term storage.
• Place-Based Education Educational program partnering with Orleans Southwest Supervisory Union (six schools, 1,100 students) to deliver school gardens, cooking classes, farm field trips, youth entrepreneurship, and workforce development.
• Food Justice Programs Community food access initiatives including Grow Your Own workshops, Pies for People, Produce to Pantries (in partnership with Hardwick Area Food Pantry), and the Barton Hub, working to increase food sovereignty and provide healthy local food to underserved communities in the Northeast Kingdom.
• Atkins Field 15-acre community green space in Hardwick featuring community gardens, an orchard, farmers market space, pavilion for events, bicycle pump track, and trails; hosts the weekly Hardwick Farmers Market May through October.
• Community Room at Food Hub Multi-purpose meeting and workshop space at the Food Hub with kitchen facilities and conference equipment, available for reservation by community groups for events, cooking workshops, and meetings at published half-day and full-day rates.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 farms and food producers gain market access through Food Hub
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and secondary.

• Salvation FarmsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 September 2024Salvation Farms announced a plan to shift vegetable processing production to the Vermont Food Venture Center in Hardwick, leveraging existing infrastructure to grow impact.
• Hardwick Area Food PantrycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Produce to Pantries is a partnership between CAE and HAFP to buy produce from local farms for distribution at HAFP's three sites in Hardwick, Albany, and Craftsbury.
• Northeast Kingdom Organizing (NEKO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015NEKO is a regional network of partners addressing food access, equity, and rural poverty in the Northeast Kingdom. CAE is a sponsoring partner and NEKO became its own nonprofit in 2020, with CAE continuing as close partner.
• Vermont Schools and InstitutionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2013Just Cut serves K-12 schools, hospitals, colleges, and universities across Vermont and western New Hampshire, processing and delivering locally-grown produce for institutional food service.
• Orleans Southwest Supervisory Union (OSSU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012CAE's partnership with OSSU focuses on strengthening and expanding place-based and food systems education, serving 1,100 students in six schools. Programs include Recipe for Human Connection class, cooking classes, and farm field trips.
• Pete's GreenscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Vermont Farm Fund was originally established by Pete's Greens and CAE in 2011. The VFF operates as a program of CAE, providing zero-interest emergency loans and low-interest loans to Vermont farmers and food producers.
• Yellow Barn PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAE partners with the Town of Hardwick and other local partners on the Yellow Barn Business Accelerator project. CAE's Food Hub occupies 12,500 sq. ft. of the new 25,000 sq. ft. building.
• Jasper Hill FarmmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJasper Hill Farm is co-located at the Yellow Barn Business Accelerator with CAE, sharing infrastructure and contributing to the local food economy ecosystem.
• Cabot CreamerymajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCabot Creamery opened a retail outlet at the Yellow Barn Business Accelerator, part of the multimillion-dollar redevelopment project.
• Green Mountain Farm DirectsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFarm Connex picks up and delivers products for Green Mountain Farm Direct as part of regional distribution network.
• Deep Root Co-opsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFarm Connex picks up and delivers products for Deep Root Co-op as part of regional distribution network.
• UVM Institute for AgroecologymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAE received a Seed Grant from the Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships for a cooperative project with UVM Institute for Agroecology, NEKO, and Rural Vermont on agroecology and just transitions research in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom.
• Rural VermontmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for agroecology and just transitions research in the Northeast Kingdom, along with UVM Institute for Agroecology and NEKO.
• Vermont Sustainable Jobs FundmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFarm to Plate Director Jake Claro works with CAE through the Vermont Food Hub Collaborative, advocating for food system policy at the Statehouse.
• Vermont Food Hub CollaborativemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of food hub organizations working to strengthen Vermont's local food systems since 2015, with CAE Executive Director Jon Ramsay providing testimony at the Statehouse.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Intervale Center: Burlington, Vermont-based nonprofit food hub and farm business incubator operating shared infrastructure, farm business advising, and food access programs — directly comparable to CAE's integrated Vermont-based food system model.
• Salvation Farms: Vermont-based nonprofit specializing in produce surplus management and processing; currently shifting processing production to CAE's VFVC. Operates in the same farm-to-institution and food rescue space as Just Cut.
• Farm Fresh Rhode Island: Nonprofit food hub aggregating and distributing local produce across Rhode Island, operating farmers markets and farm-to-school programs — a comparable regional food hub structure to CAE.
• Local Food Hub: Virginia-based nonprofit food hub providing aggregation, distribution, and farm-to-institution services for the Charlottesville region — analogous operational model to CAE's Farm Connex and Just Cut programs.
• Red Tomato: Nonprofit regional food distributor aggregating and selling New England produce to retail and institutional buyers — a direct comparable in mission and farm-to-institution distribution model.

Regional players

• Green Mountain Farm-to-School: Vermont-based nonprofit focused on school-based farm-to-school programming — directly comparable to CAE's Place-Based Education partnership with OSSU, though without CAE's processing and distribution scale.

Broad incumbents

• Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT): Vermont's oldest and largest organic agriculture nonprofit, providing farmer education, certification, and advocacy — a broader-incumbent counterpart operating in the same Vermont agricultural ecosystem as CAE.
• Vermont Foodbank: Statewide food distribution nonprofit operating food rescue, pantry distribution, and federal food program administration — overlapping with CAE's Produce to Pantries and community food access work at significantly larger scale.
• Wholesome Wave: National nonprofit that operates produce prescription and food access programs across the U.S., working with farmers markets and community partners — comparable to CAE's Produce to Pantries and food justice programming.
• Black River Produce: Vermont-based regional food distributor serving restaurants, institutions, and retailers across New England — a larger, for-profit adjacent operator to CAE's Farm Connex distribution channel.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hardwickagriculture
• Instagraminstagram.com/caevermont
• Xx.com/CenterAg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-an-agricultural-economy-cae

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Center for an Agricultural Economy