Food Systems - Expert in Residence
DeLuca has engaged in over $10 million in funding decisions benefiting working lands enterprises since 2010 and serves on the national Food Systems Finance Advisory Council of the Council of Development Finance Agencies. He serves on the Board of Hanover Consumer Cooperative Society, DBA Co-op Food Stores. In 2021, Co-op Food Stores created a $15.5M retail market for 403 local producers, representing 18% of over $87M total sales. He curates the Financing for Farmland Access Priority Strategy Team in the VT Farm to Plate Network. From 2016-2021, he served as vice-chair of the Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Board. For three years he led the Slow Money VT network catalyzing impact investment in the food system asset class. He co-founded the University of Vermont Food Hub Management Professional Certificate program, the first of its kind in the country. DeLuca managed the U.S. Program for the UN-declared International Year of Cooperatives. He guided the development of the Neighboring Food Co-op Association—now a network of over 35 food co-ops in New England and NY State with $90 million sales of local products annually.
