By Tyler Maheu
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
REGION — On January 24, 2023, the Lake Sunapee Region Chamber of Commerce (LSRCC) held their Annual Meeting and Community Award Ceremony. Five awards were presented to community members and organizations at the event. Rookie Business of the Year was given to Foster’s Fine Jewelry in New London, Michael Brown took home Young Professional of the Year, the Wilmot Community Association was honored with Non-Profit of the Year, Ashlee Rowley was named Community Member of the Year, and Business of the Year was given to Kearsarge Food Hub of Bradford.
Kearsarge Food Hub (KFH) was founded in 2015 and became a federally registered non-profit in 2018. According to Co-Founder and Director of Marketing & Communications Hanna Sanders, this is also when the group launched their first pilot project, Sweet Beet Farm and Farm Stand. “Six cofounders ran the farm and operated the farm stand where we started selling our own produce, as well as sourcing food from many local farmers and producers,” said Sanders over email. At the same time, KFH worked to grow relationships with local food pantries and schools, in what Sanders says is an effort to “integrate food donations and educational programs.” Sanders states that in the years since being founded, the team has grown to over 22 staff members who operate Sweet Beet Farm, Market, and Café. KFH also features a food donations program, which has reportedly donated over $61,000 of locally sourced food to area pantries.
“Winning Business of the Year from the Lake Sunapee Region Chamber of commerce means that our community welcomes, recognizes, and appreciates our nonprofit services,” said Sanders. “It tells us that our work is needed. With the rising cost of living and greater food insecurity in our community, the work is more important than ever. Internally, it means that our team can take a beat to celebrate the hard work we’ve all put into serving the community in all the ways that we do collectively and use this recognition to propel us forward into the year ahead.”
According to the LSRCC, KFH was nominated in almost every single category for the awards, and the “work of the team at KFH is unlike any other. From seeing a need for change and education, to creating an absolutely incredible space in Bradford and becoming a resource for so many.”
Despite the award, Sanders believes that KFH’s work is just beginning. “Going forward, we aim to continue investing in our people and strengthen team cohesion across the organization.,” she said. “We seek to gather and integrate more feedback from our community so we may understand better what works and what doesn’t, and, above all, what’s needed most.” Sanders states that KFH will be focusing on making programs stable and more sustainable going forward, so that they can help the community for a long time to come. To stay connected with KFH and learn more about their mission, visit kearsargefoodhub.org.
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