Call for Proposals: Help shape the 2027 Northeast Farm to Institution Summit
Deadline: October 12, 2026
Farm to Institution New England (FINE) and the Vermont Farm to School and Early Childhood (FTSEC) Network are now accepting session proposals for the seventh biennial Northeast Farm to Institution Summit, April 14–16, 2027 in Burlington, Vermont.
This year's theme is Connected Systems, Collective Impact. A strong regional food system is a web of people, communities, infrastructure, and the relationships that hold it together - and the stronger those connections, the more resilient the whole becomes. The F2iSummit is where that web gets built in person.
The program is created by the network, for the network. If you have a skill to teach, a story to tell, a hard question to work on together, or a place worth visiting, this is your invitation.
Proposals are welcome for:
2-hour strategy sessions: facilitated, reflective conversations on pressing food system issues
1-hour sessions: information sharing with real engagement
10-minute lightning talks: a succinct update, lesson learned, or success story
Field trips: place-based sessions showcasing the greater Burlington area food system
Have an idea that doesn't fit those formats? Speaker suggestions, side meetings, topics you hope get covered, arts to integrate — the form has room for all of it.
Deadline: October 12, 2026. Presenters receive a 40% registration discount, and a limited number of speaking stipends are available by request.
New to this, or want to think out loud first? Register for a virtual brainstorming session on Monday, September 15, 3–4 p.m. Ask questions, talk through ideas, and find co-presenters.
Northeast Farm to Institution Summit
April 14-16, 2027
Burlington, Vermont
Brought to you by Farm to Institution New England & Vermont Farm to School and Early Childhood Network
Hotel Champlain Burlington, Curio Collection by Hilton
60 Battery Street, Burlington, Vermont, 05401
For the first time in FINE's history, we are bringing the F2iSummit to Vermont!
Every two years, the Northeast Farm to Institution Summit brings together food system leaders from across the region to spark ideas, build partnerships, share resources and skills, and strengthen our collective impact. More than 500 farmers, food service directors, distributors, educators, and advocates gather to do this work in person — and leave ready to act.
Hotel Champlain is one block from the shores of Lake Champlain, and a half mile from Burlington’s Church St Marketplace. Stay tuned for more information on this beautiful venue, including room reservation information.
New in 2027
We are particularly excited to announce our event partnership with the Vermont Farm to School and Early Childhood Network. This partnership will allow us to highlight the amazing work happening across Vermont, and amplify farm to school and early childhood programming while continuing to create robust cross-sector opportunities for carceral, health care, and campus institutional value chains.
Conference Theme & Goals
Theme: Connected Systems, Collective Impact
A strong regional food system is a complex web of individuals, communities, infrastructure - and the relationships that hold it all together. The stronger the connections between these pieces, the more resilient and powerful the whole becomes. This is the work of building supply chains while building trust, of changing policy while changing mindsets, of expanding infrastructure while expanding our capacity to think creatively. This is the work of partnership, vision, innovation, and courageous collaboration.
And it isn’t work any one of us can do alone.
Now more than ever we need spaces to tell our stories and learn from each other’s successes and challenges. We need spaces to deepen our collective knowledge, broaden our understanding of what is possible, and imagine how we’re going to get there. The 2027 Northeast Farm to Institution Summit will be that space - where we come together across communities, sectors, and the food system to turn individual efforts into connected systems and collective impact.
Goals:
Advance diversity, equity, and inclusion
Support individual and organizational connections
Grow individual, intergenerational, and collective capacity
Spark action
Foster joy, celebration, and belonging
Honor our host community
Sign up for F2iSummit Updates
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Interested in Sponsoring?
Position yourself as a leader committed to building a strong regional food system; showcase your product or service to a large, values-aligned audience actively seeking partners in this work; build new relationships; and help keep registration fees accessible to all. Check out our Sponsorship Opportunities.
What Attendees Say…
“This was one of the most thoughtful, engaging, and interesting conferences I have ever attended. I was able to connect and reconnect with so many wonderful people and efforts in our local and regional food systems. I left feeling nourished and energized to continue to move this work forward together.”
