A partnership between Maine Farmland Trust, local community development organizations, and local farmers

A food hub is “a centrally located facility with a business management structure facilitating the aggregation, storage, processing, distribution, and/or marketing of locally/regionally produced food products.” (Source: USDA)

 Farming region (traditionally and currently).  In last 15 years, region has seen considerable growth in small farms selling direct.  The local market for direct sales is saturated. So farms must increasingly sell further a field—tiring, inefficient, unsustainable.  At same time, region is a USDA food desert.  BOTTOM LINE: New options needed for both farmers and consumers.

 Food Hubs can take many different forms.  We envision a Food Hub for the Unity region that is principally designed to help local vegetable farmers access markets outside the immediate region.  But we are crafting the Food Hub so that it will also better serve local consumers, including low-income persons.

Five Spokes  The Packing Shed  The Cutting Board  The Food Depot  The Share  The Oasis

 Facility for washing, bunching, topping, grading, and packing vegetables.  Initial focus on root crops, expanded over time.  Provides efficiencies not available to every small farmer.  Puts products in suitable form for broader marketing (by farmer, by distributor, or by the Hub—perhaps after minimal processing).

 Provides minimal processing (peeling, chopping) of vegetable crops.  Puts products in form to capture institutional markets (which is a primary focus of Hub). NOTES:  The Hub would market the Cutting Board’s products.  The Hub may distribute itself OR utilize existing distributors.

 Central facility for cold and dry storage.  Holds products for Cutting Board operation.  Available as storage and pick-up site for distributors and institutions.  Available for storage by farms.

 Multi-farm CSA designed as a synergistic addition to other Hub functions.  Increases volume of local farm products handled and stored by Hub (Packing Shed, Food Depot).  Builds off Hub’s institutional marketing (for Cutting Board).  Also serves local community ◦ Regular CSA members ◦ New vehicle for Community Farm Share

 Community space organized around food (to be used for workshops, trainings, and dinners, as well as for CSA pick-ups).  Includes retail outlet selling the local farm products that are stored at Hub.  Takes advantage of Hub’s facility in highly suitable building in ideal village location.

 Vegetable aggregation and minimal processing facility intended to help Unity area farmers access broader markets.  Hub’s different “spokes” serve different functions, often synergistically.  Gives local farmers new ways to sell wholesale (either to Hub or to distributor using Hub)  Keeps open option for local farmers to sell direct (while utilizing Hub to wash, pack, or store).  Utilizes (rather than duplicating) established local distributors. A food hub is “a centrally located facility with a business management structure facilitating the aggregation, storage, processing, distribution, and/or marketing of locally/regionally produced food products.” (Source: USDA’s Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food, Regional Food Hub Subcommittee).

 Maine Farmland Trust  Unity Barn Raisers  Trillium Redevelopment  Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI)  Local farmers  Maine-based local foods distributors  Select institutions interested in buying

Eventually  Self-sustaining for-profit business serving local farmers. Might be organized as a L3C or farmer cooperative. Initially  Created as a for-profit LLC owned by MFT, guided by participating farmers. This structure enables MFT investment on front end, and allows farmers to be actively engaged without burdening them with unwanted responsibilities.

 To provide participating farmers with new markets.  To test new marketing and distribution options that will help build a better food system.  To test new business models that retain maximum benefits for participating farmers.  To increase community access to affordable locally-grown food.

Foundation Laid  Considerable work done with local farmers  Building purchased  Business Plan nearly complete  Some funding secured  Modest programming begun Poised to Move  MFT Board decision (this winter)  Building renovation (beginning this spring)

Questions?