Meet Sustainable CAPE: Building a strong local food system for our community

Sustainable CAPE, based in Truro, has grown from a volunteer-run agriculture fair that began in 2009 to a far-reaching nonprofit organization that works to bring the healthy goodness of locally-grown food to the Cape Cod community.

You can learn more about their pioneering work and community-building programs at the Meet Your Local Farmers event on March 28th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Cape Cod Regional Technical High School (351 Pleasant Lake Avenue in Harwich). It’s going to be a hootenanny, so save the date!

It’s always a pleasure to chat with Sustainable Cape’s Founding Director Francie Randolph, who is also an award-winning visual artist and a former Teaching Fellow and Lecturer at Harvard University in the school’s Visual and Environmental Studies Department.

On a personal note, this reporter’s daughter worked as a Food Equity Intern at Sustainable CAPE, and this important experience helped inspire her to study food science in college. That’s the kind of educational magic that makes this organization special.

We reached out to Francie with some questions about Sustainable CAPE and are grateful for her thoughtful replies:

What is Sustainable CAPE and what does the organization do?

Sustainable CAPE – Center for Agricultural Preservation & Education is a Barnstable County nonprofit dedicated to building a strong local food system that improves community health while supporting our regional economy. We empower the next generation through garden-based learning and sustain our local food economy through robust farmers market initiatives—all anchored by a commitment to universal food access.

Our goal is to educate and empower individuals to become agents of change – thereby creating a decidedly more delicious, healthy and sustainable world.

We began in 2009 with a volunteer-led agricultural fair and have grown into a public health and food access organization serving communities across Cape Cod. Today, our programs include our Cape-wide Food is Medicine initiative, which delivers medically-tailored local food to patients referred by healthcare providers; children’s garden and farm-to-school education reaching over 2,000 students annually; the Cape & Islands Farmers’ Market Coalition supporting multiple food access programs across seven farmers’ markets; and we run the Truro and Provincetown Farmers’ Markets where we pilot many of these programs. Together, these efforts connect local farms and fisheries directly to the health and wellbeing of our neighbors.

What are the benefits of local food to our health, our communities and the environment?

Local food is fresher and more nutrient-dense, and harvested at peak ripeness which directly benefits our health. When we eat food grown close to home, we reduce reliance on ultra-processed products and increase access to whole, protective foods that help prevent chronic disease.

Beyond personal health, buying local keeps dollars circulating in our regional economy and supports multigenerational farms and fishermen. Environmentally, local agriculture helps preserve open space, protect groundwater, and maintain the working landscapes that define Cape Cod. Supporting a strong, local food system is one of the most fundamental ways we can care for the health of our bodies, community and environment simultaneously.

What are some of the challenges that Cape Cod farmers face?

Cape Cod farmers operate in one of the most beautiful, and most challenging, agricultural environments in the country. Exorbitant land costs, limited acreage, seasonal tourism pressures, and workforce shortages all impact their ability to remain viable. Climate change adds additional strain through unpredictable weather patterns, loss of land and water management concerns.

At the same time, farmers are competing with inexpensive, industrially produced food that doesn’t reflect the true environmental cost of production. Supporting local farms means recognizing that their work sustains not only our food supply, but also our physical and community health including our open space, water quality, and regional resilience.

How can people get involved in Sustainable CAPE?

It’s easy to join us as a volunteer, sponsor, educator, intern or participant. Sign up online at SustainableCAPE.org for our news, events and/or to connect with one of our program coordinators. We’d love to include you in our work!

What’s your favorite thing about the Meet Your Local Farmers event?

What makes the Meet Your Local Farmers event so special is the direct connection it creates between the people who grow our food and the people who eat it. You see old friends and make new ones. When you shake a farmer’s hand, hear their story, and taste what they’ve grown, food becomes personal and meaningful.

The event, like our local farmers’ markets, celebrates the hardworking growers, fishermen, and producers who make local food possible, while reminding us that sustaining agriculture on Cape Cod requires community support. It’s a beautiful example of how education, connection, and celebration can come together around something as simple and powerful as local food.

SAVE THE DATE: The Meet Your Local Farmers event will bloom on March 28th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Cape Cod Regional Technical High School (351 Pleasant Lake Avenue in Harwich). Hosted by Harwich Conservation Trust and the Orleans Farmers’ Market, the event features over 50 farms and farm-supporting organizations. And farmers will be selling their unique products and foods, so it’s a great opportunity to bring home some Cape-grown goodness. It’s free admission and great for all ages. Hope to see you there!

—Sign up for HCT eNews, a great way to stay in the loop about exciting HCT events, guided walks and other interesting news.

—Your tax-deductible contributions help fulfill the mission of the Harwich Conservation Trust to preserve land that protects woods, water, wildlife and our shared quality of life. And your land-saving financial support helps us preserve beautiful properties that can become stellar trail destinations. Find out how to donate by clicking here.