Institutional Demand for Locally-Grown Food in Vermont: Marketing Implications for Producers and Distributors

Abstract

Institutional food service operations have shown increasing interest in locally grown foods, and are providing a business opportunity for farmers and distributors. The purpose of this paper is to present and discuss the results and implications of a survey assessing institutional food service operations in Vermont. We used the 4 P’s (price, product, place, and promotion) Marketing Mix framework to highlight marketing strategies for farmers and distributors wanting to increase their sales of local food to institutions.