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Food Hubs

Food Hubs. Indiana Rural Summit: Local Foods. What is a "food hub"?. Actively manages the aggregation , distribution , and marketing of source-identified food products Primarily local and regional producers Satisfies wholesale, retail, and institutional demand for local foods

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Food Hubs

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  1. Food Hubs Indiana Rural Summit: Local Foods

  2. What is a "food hub"? • Actively manages the aggregation, distribution, and marketing of source-identified food products • Primarily local and regional producers • Satisfies wholesale, retail, and institutional demand for local foods Infrastructure

  3. What is a "food hub"? • Focus on local Small- and medium-sized enterprises • Legal structure varies Privately owned / non-profit / cooperative / government-run • Operating structure varies Supply chain coordination/marketing/education / virtual – (buying club) / aggregation + production

  4. What is a "food hub"?

  5. What do food hubs do? Increase market access for local and regional producers • Aggregation -> high volume and consistent supply • Relieve producers of marketing, processing, distribution tasks, etc. • Offer producer and consumer training and support services • Cooperation creates material efficiencies

  6. What do food hubs do? Make sourcing local foods a real option on a larger scale • Single point of purchase • Economies of scale • Allow resellers to respond to demand

  7. What do food hubs do? Leave a positive impact on communities • Quality food accessible to more people • Alleviate food deserts and food insecurity • Increased health & wellness • Increased awareness of benefits of local foods through education • Boost the local economy • Positive environmental impact

  8. Challenges Opportunities

  9. 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

  10. Across the Nation • More than 200 listed in USDA “working list” (outdated) • More and more popping up each week • Food Hub Networks developing (Great Lakes Food Hub Network) • Network of networks

  11. 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

  12. Wabash Valley Food Hub Activities to Date Preliminary research Advisory Committee formed Awareness/excitement building Preparing for stakeholder meetings & survey

  13. Wabash Valley Food Hub Current Status Strong informal support and enthusiasm Focus on stakeholder engagement

  14. Wabash Valley Food Hub Next Steps Engage stakeholders! Strengthen and diversify Advisory Committee Compile survey data and make recommendations Develop business plan and launch

  15. Resources on Food Hubs • Wallace Center – National Good Food Network ngfn.org • Crossroads Resource Center crcworks.org • USDA Food Hub website ams.usda.gov/foodhubs • Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture leopold.iastate.edu • Google it!

  16. Contact Jason Saavedra Partner/Principal J3 Concepts 812-645-4610 info@j3planning.com Find us on Facebook! facebook.com/WabashValleyFoodHub

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