Food Hub
Los Angeles-Based Farm to Table Delivery Service Finds Ready Market Sustainable Produce
May 15, 2013 | Melonie Magruder
Jennifer Piette said the idea for her Out of the Box Collective was born from the European food culture in which she lived for more than 20 years, working as a screenwriter and film producer.
“Where I lived (in France, Portugal and England), there were fresh markets right around the corner,” Piette said. “You cooked. Here in America, we have a completely different relationship with our food.”
Piette was referring to modern-day proclivities for processed and packaged meals (Piette calls it “phony food”), and produce and meat sourced from factory farms. The volume is impressive, but the quality dubious. Read More
Washington State Food Hub Connects Small Growers to Large Buyers, Satisfying Demand for Local Food
April 25, 2013 | Trish Popovitch
The demand for local food continues to grow, often faster than small growers and infrastructure can keep up. That’s why the work of the Northwest Agriculture Business Center (NABC) is vital in connecting small farmers to big business in Northwest Washington State.
Founded in 2006, NABC is the brainchild of a group of farmers and politicians who noticed a gap in the small business assistance market. Independent growers running small farms are first and foremost farmers. Brand development, marketing, establishing a customer base and utilizing accounting technology are often unfamiliar and time consuming aspects of the small farm business. NABC provides assistance in these and other areas helping to keep small farms viable. Read More
USDA Releases Report on the Growing Importance of Food Hubs in Rural America
February 26, 2013 | USDA
News Release – NEW ORLEANS, La., February 26, 2013 – Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan today announced the release of a report which provides a comprehensive look at the economic role, challenges and opportunities for food hubs in the nation’s growing local food movement. The announcement was made during a visit to Hollygrove Market and Farm, a produce market, local distributor and farm in downtown New Orleans. In operation since 2009, Hollygrove Farm and Market sources from twenty local growers across southern Louisiana and Mississippi. Hollygrove’s mission includes increasing access to fresh produce for underserved New Orleans neighborhoods. The organization first began operations as part of the city’s post-Hurricane Katrina rebuilding efforts. Read More
Produce Delivery Service Aggregates Farmers Market Online for Urban Consumers
November 5, 2012 | Melonie Magruder
Meet the future of retail grocery shopping: SPUD, which stands for Sustainable Produce Urban Delivery. The company provides you with a means to buy organic, locally sourced, guaranteed-tasty, weekly groceries, without adding a microgram to your carbon footprint.
It’s like your local Farmers Market pulls up stakes and sets up camp on your front lawn, except that you only have to glance at your computer to make your selections, and everything might cost a little bit less. No drive to a crowded market, no aimless search for that elusive parking spot, Read More
Community Garden Network with Attendant Veggie Mobile Serves ‘Foodies in Food Deserts’
October 29, 2012 | Gregory Hitchcock
Standing in front of Ten Eyck Apartments, a 101-unit high-rise apartment building in downtown Schenectady, New York, can be found the Veggie Mobile, a vegetable stand on wheels.
Today, like most days, it is serving fresh produce for low-income individuals and families very much like residents of Ten Eyck, mostly elderly and disabled residents. Today it is raining, but the casual spectator or curious bystander can still see a flourish of activity from volunteers packing vegetables for those that request them. Read More
Innovative Food Distribution Co. in Oklahoma Brings Local Food to City, Sustainable Farmers Benefit
June 21, 2012 | Jessica Vernabe
Farmers often have many hats to wear—grower, food packager, delivery person, sales booth setup coordinator, social media promoter, bookkeeper, and the list goes on.
Matthew Burch, the founder of Urban Agrarian in Oklahoma City, believes that farmers shouldn’t have to bear the brunt of these responsibilities all on their own. That’s why he started his company in 2008. The company purchases products from food producers within the state at discounted prices and then sells them to local retail shoppers and wholesalers. Read More
