Food Hubs Indiana Rural Summit Local Foods What
Food Hubs Indiana Rural. Summit: Local Foods
What is a "food hub"? • • • Actively manages the aggregation, distribution, and marketingof sourceidentified food products Primarily local and regional producers Satisfies wholesale, retail, and institutional demand for local foods Infrastructure
What is a "food hub"? • Focus on local • Legal structure varies • Operating structure varies Small- and medium-sized enterprises Privately owned / non-profit / cooperative / government-run Supply chain coordination/marketing/education / virtual – (buying club) / aggregation + production
What is a "food hub"? Producer Community Consumer
What do food hubs do? Increase market access for local and regional producers o Aggregation -> high volume and consistent supply o Relieve producers of marketing, processing, distribution tasks, etc. o Offer producer and consumer training and support services o Cooperation creates material efficiencies
What do food hubs do? Make sourcing local foods areal option on a larger scale o Single point of purchase o Economies of scale o Allow resellers to respond to demand
What do food hubs do? Leave a positive impact on communities o Quality food accessible to more people o Alleviate food deserts and food insecurity o Increased health & wellness o Increased awareness of benefits of local foods through education o Boost the local economy o Positive environmental impact
Challenges Opportunities Access to Capital Long-term efficiencies No “template” Flexibility Highly dependent on cooperation Resilience Meeting demand for yearround supply Bring in diverse suppliers / fresh ideas Competing with “big business” economies of scale Develop partnerships to expand local market
Food hubs in Indiana • Wabash Valley Food Hub – Terre Haute • Central Indiana Food Hub – Hancock Cnty • Green B. E. A. N. – Indy, Ft. Wayne, Muncie • Several in Chicagoland Area • Local Growers Guild – Bloomington
Across the Nation • More than 200 listed in USDA “working list” (outdated) • More and more popping up each week • Food Hub Networks developing (Great Lakes Food Hub Network) • Network of networks
Wabash Valley Food Hub Background • Indiana State University • Unbounded Possibilities • Rural-Urban Entrepreneurship Development Institute (RUEDI) • Local food network is one of four RUEDI focus areas
Wabash Valley Food Hub Activities to Date • Preliminary research • Advisory Committee formed • Awareness/excitement building • Preparing for stakeholder meetings & survey
Wabash Valley Food Hub Current Status • Strong informal support and enthusiasm • Focus on stakeholder engagement
Wabash Valley Food Hub Next Steps • Engage stakeholders! • Strengthen and diversify Advisory Committee • Compile survey data and make recommendations • Develop business plan and launch
Resources on Food Hubs o Wallace Center – National Good Food Network ngfn. org o Crossroads Resource Center crcworks. org o USDA Food Hub website ams. usda. gov/foodhubs o Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture leopold. iastate. edu o Google it!
Contact Jason Saavedra Partner/Principal J 3 Concepts 812 -645 -4610 info@j 3 planning. com Find us on Facebook! facebook. com/Wabash. Valley. Food. Hub
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