Organizers to discuss food hub at meeting

By Erin McGrath

Published: January 14, 2009

‘It would tell consumers what products will be available, when and where consumers can purchase products.’

— Greg Kelly,
Development authority member

A member of the Nelson County Economic Development Authority and staff will meet with two other groups this week who are interested in discussing a project to start a distribution hub of local foods that would serve Nelson County and the Thomas Jefferson Planning District.

In December, the development authority pledged $10,000 to Local Food Hub organizers Kate Collier and Marisa Vrooman, both of Charlottesville, to develop a plan for a nonprofit business that would connect local food growers with buyers.

Hub workers would pick up produce from local growers at central locations in the surrounding counties and take it to the distribution center, where it would be processed for sale to area distributors, grocers, restaurants or institutions.

In the latest version of the plan, the hub would be in Ablemarle County at the Ivy Industrial Park, where a building with equipment already in place can be used.

Last week, Collier and Vrooman, appeared before the Ablemarle County Board of Supervisors to ask for $80,000 in start-up funds. At the same meeting, two other groups, Locus Foods and the Piedmont Environmental Council, made presentations to the board.

Maureen Corum, Nelson County’s director of tourism and economic development, said supervisors were enthusiastic about the plans for the hub but directed the groups to begin to work together and return in February with a business plan and updated proposal.

At the Jan. 8 development authority meeting, member Greg Kelly updated other members on the Locus Foods concept — a Web-based program that would connect local producers and buyers.

“It would tell consumers what products will be available, when and where consumers can purchase the products,” Kelly said. “This type of thing would work for big and small producers.

Kelly said this model has been used in other states and an example can be found at http://www.oklahomafood.coop.

“This is all grassroots economic development,” he said.

Corum said she anticipates the groups will return to the authority to ask for more funding.

The development authority will discuss the food hub project again at a February meeting.