As consumer interest in locally grown food increases, farmers and organizations are working on inventive ways to supply fresh and affordable local food to residents. The Intervale Center, a nonprofit in Burlington, Vermont, partnered with small and midscale farmers to create the Intervale Food Hub, a collaborative of staff and farmers that aggregates, markets, and distributes local products through both a multifarm community supported agriculture (CSA) program and wholesale. Informed by surveys conducted to assess supply and demand in the region, the Food Hub provides businesses, restaurants, retailers, institutions, and individuals with year-round access to a diverse mix of fresh and value-added local food. The Intervale Center serves as a local distributor, purchasing products from up to 30 farmers and coordinating packaging, marketing, distribution, and business operations. Year-round, shared space is available to conduct business operations, including packaging and short-term storage. After three years of operation, the Food Hub has begun exploring ownership structures and geographic expansion. Using a participatory action research approach, this case study reviews the enterprise's development and outcomes. We provide a qualitative assessment of farmer and staff perceptions of successful practices and limitations, and conclude with recommendations for future research.

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Through a path regression analysis of data from the Vermont Micro Business Development Program, this study examines the relationships between client characteristics, program activities, interim outcomes, and impacts, to understand factors that lead to and mediate client success in microenterprise development programs and as entrepreneurs. Statistics demonstrated excellent model fit to the data. The interim outcome of improved personal well-being was related to more sources of capital, course completion, being partnered and younger. Starting a business was related to having more financial resources and mediated by improved well-being. Clients who experienced an increase in income had previous business experience and an increase in assets. Increased income was mediated by improved well-being and business start. Reduction in public assistance was related to course completion, more sources of capital, not being in poverty, and increased assets. Increased assets were related to more education, not being in poverty, and more sources of capital. Being older, more sources of capital, a larger family, and improved well-being led to job creation. Overall, access to more financial resources enabled clients to meet personal and business goals and work toward self-sufficiency. The results suggest implications for public policy regarding business training and loan financing.

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