We are pleased to present the following summary of its activities and accomplishments for 2006:

Public Policy
NESAWG led the Northeast Ag Works! Project, which focuses on food and farm policy development for the Northeast. Using a regionalist framework, we:
• Produced and disseminated publications about regionalism as applied to farm and food policy – a regionalism one-pager, a 25-page “white paper” and a “regionalism policy checklist”
• Inventoried Northeast state policy innovations in food processing and inspection, institutional procurement, farmland affordability and agriculture-economic development. We produced five e-newsletters with these model policies. They were distributed to all state legislators in twelve N.E. states.
• Met with state legislators, state departments of agriculture, and farm and food groups (e.g., NSAAS, NEASDA, NACD, Dairy Pricing Summit, National Ag Chairs) around state and federal policy development
• Hosted briefing sessions for Senate Eggplant Caucus and N.E. Congressional Ag Caucus
• Researched inter-state policy barriers and began preparation for meetings about health regulation and farmers’ direct marketing
• Co-sponsored a regional meeting about food policy councils for state legislators, staffers and community groups
• Hosted a N.E. regional policy summit focused on the 2007 Farm Bill; led the development of a regional Farm Bill Agenda for the Northeast
• Provided resources, information and support to about 60 people from the N.E. who participated in national Farm Bill workgroups
• Continued collaboration with the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture around annual Farm Bill program appropriations
• Rallied participation in Farm Bill Congressional field hearings and USDA listening sessions

Food Systems Development
NESAWG partnered with member and other groups on several projects. In 2006 we:
• Completed a N.E. SARE-funded training project for over 150 service providers around institutional purchasing and buy local programs; produced a manual for professionals
• Competed a feasibility study and business plan for a state-wide buy local campaign for Connecticut, with Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture and Hartford Food System; model to be developed as a template for other groups

Public Education
In 2006 we:
• Published Reporting on the Land Grant Stakeholder Rule: Commentary from the Northeast U.S.
• Published the 2006 Update to Northeast Farms to Food; with UNH Office of Sustainability and Northeast Midwest Institute; focus on the Farm Bill
• Presented workshops on food systems topics at conferences and meetings throughout the N.E. and nationally
• Developed a new Website built on a blogging platform that allows us to post new information more easily and regularly

Member Services and Capacity Building
In 2006 we:
• Conducted four pilot trainings for six member organizations around strengthening their policy advocacy activities; developed curriculum and resource materials; provided follow-up technical assistance
• Managed the NE-FOOD list serve with 535 subscribers
• Published 12 issues of the “Potluck News” e-newsletter and three issues of our paper newsletter
• Provided resource, information and referral services to members and managed the member database, dues collection and publication sales

NESAWG’s core budget in 2006 was $42,000, plus two grant-funded special project funded by W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the N.E. SARE Program. NESAWG members contributed approximately $3,500 in annual dues.

The 2006 NESAWG Steering Committee members were: Billie Best, Kate Duesterberg, Judith Gillan, Vern Grubinger, Jim Hanna, Liana Hoodes, Ruth Katz, Tom Kelly, Jiff Martin, Brian Snyder and Liz Wheeler.

Special thanks to Vern Grubinger and Ruth Katz who are stepping down from the Steering Committee.