NWCT Regional food Hub is Up and Running!
NWCT Regional Food Hub
December 2018 UPDATE:
The NWCT Regional Food Hub has had a successful first official year of operations (July 1, 2017- June 30, 2018) and is now serving 20 farms (in Roxbury, Washington, Kent, Litchfield, Harwinton, Cornwall, and Warren) and 20 food buyers (customers) including restaurants, schools, and grocery stores. The Hub will also be actively involved over the next year in helping our interested farms become GAP certified and participating in farm-to-school programs.
The National Good Food Network’s “2018 Food Hub Benchmark Study” of 350 food hubs across the country has shown that these Hubs typically require funding support for at least three years before they can become self-sustaining. A Hub becomes self-sustaining by selling enough product (locally grown food) to enough customers that the small margin they take on each sale is enough to support ongoing operations.
The Hub has received funding support from:
If you are interested in more information about the Hub, please contact Jocelyn at NHCOG.
December 2018 UPDATE:
The NWCT Regional Food Hub has had a successful first official year of operations (July 1, 2017- June 30, 2018) and is now serving 20 farms (in Roxbury, Washington, Kent, Litchfield, Harwinton, Cornwall, and Warren) and 20 food buyers (customers) including restaurants, schools, and grocery stores. The Hub will also be actively involved over the next year in helping our interested farms become GAP certified and participating in farm-to-school programs.
The National Good Food Network’s “2018 Food Hub Benchmark Study” of 350 food hubs across the country has shown that these Hubs typically require funding support for at least three years before they can become self-sustaining. A Hub becomes self-sustaining by selling enough product (locally grown food) to enough customers that the small margin they take on each sale is enough to support ongoing operations.
The Hub has received funding support from:
- The Draper Fund of the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation,
- Connecticut Department of Agriculture, Farm Viability Grant Program
- Northwest Hills Council of Governments,
- Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area
If you are interested in more information about the Hub, please contact Jocelyn at NHCOG.
NWCT Regional Food Hub
October 2017 UPDATE
In July 2017, the NWCT Regional Food Hub began its official operations- picking up tomatoes, leafy greens, potatoes, squashes, leeks, onions, carrots, and beans from farms in Roxbury, Washington, Litchfield, Harwinton, Cornwall, and Warren and delivering this food to grocery stores and restaurants. As you may recall, the main purpose of the NWCT Regional Food Hub is to create a new wholesale market channel for local farmers and increase the sustainability of farm businesses in our region.
We have an amazing Food Hub Manager- Renee Giroux who lives and farms herself in Warren, CT. She, along with Kay Carroll of Partners for Sustainable Healthy Communities, have been doing the day to day work to get this Hub off the ground. Renee and Kay report that the farmers they are working with are happy (there are 10 participating farms in this pilot year) and the new Hub’s customers are happy including Forman School in Litchfield, CT and New Morning Market in Woodbury, CT. They have learned a lot during these first few months of operating the Hub. “We are in a really good spot to continue to grow,” says Renee.
The Hub’s physical location is currently a warehouse on Broad Street in Torrington and its online location will be up shortly. This website will list and describe the participating farms and allow wholesale customers (schools, restaurants, grocery stores) to order online. Read MORE
October 2017 UPDATE
In July 2017, the NWCT Regional Food Hub began its official operations- picking up tomatoes, leafy greens, potatoes, squashes, leeks, onions, carrots, and beans from farms in Roxbury, Washington, Litchfield, Harwinton, Cornwall, and Warren and delivering this food to grocery stores and restaurants. As you may recall, the main purpose of the NWCT Regional Food Hub is to create a new wholesale market channel for local farmers and increase the sustainability of farm businesses in our region.
We have an amazing Food Hub Manager- Renee Giroux who lives and farms herself in Warren, CT. She, along with Kay Carroll of Partners for Sustainable Healthy Communities, have been doing the day to day work to get this Hub off the ground. Renee and Kay report that the farmers they are working with are happy (there are 10 participating farms in this pilot year) and the new Hub’s customers are happy including Forman School in Litchfield, CT and New Morning Market in Woodbury, CT. They have learned a lot during these first few months of operating the Hub. “We are in a really good spot to continue to grow,” says Renee.
The Hub’s physical location is currently a warehouse on Broad Street in Torrington and its online location will be up shortly. This website will list and describe the participating farms and allow wholesale customers (schools, restaurants, grocery stores) to order online. Read MORE
NWCT Food Hub Feasibility Study
What has Happened!?
We have completed the NWCT Food Hub Feasibility Study and have determined that a food hub IS in fact feasible. Click HERE for a copy of the Executive Summary of the study findings.
May 2016: we submitted a grant application to USDA to help fund the start-up of the NWCT food hub.
June 2016: we learned that we were awarded $50,000 from the Community Foundation of Northwest Connecticut to carry out advanced food hub business planning.
July 2016: we expect to put out a "Request for Information" to individuals or organizations interested in playing a key role in management or operation of the NWCT food hub. Check back here for updates.
For more information or updates contact: Bill Burgess.
Overview
The Northwest Connecticut (NWCT) Food Hub Feasibility Study was spearheaded by the Northwest Hills COG and Partners for Sustainable Healthy Communities, and was conducted by New Venture Advisors. The Study was pursued as part of an effort to support the region’s farmers in expanding and improving the profitability of their operations by providing new sales channels and marketing support and to give local consumers better access to local food.
Funding for this study was provided by the CT Dept. of Agriculture Farm Viability program and matched by in-kind contributions. This Study was critical in determining that sufficient supply and demand exists to justify the creation of a NWCT Food Hub. It also established what type of Food Hub would be most helpful to the farmers in our region and what type of infrastructure we would need. The business analysis concluded that revenue that could be generated once the hub got up and running would be greater than the costs of operating the hub and that there was a great deal of opportunity for additional revenue in future years.
During the course of this study we interviewed and surveyed over 70 growers in the region and over 30 buyers. We presented the findings of this research to both the 21 chief elected officials in the Northwest Hills Council of Governments and the full board of the NWCT Economic Development Corporation. As a result, both the NHCOG and NWCT EDC unanimously supported moving forward to create a hub.
We have completed the NWCT Food Hub Feasibility Study and have determined that a food hub IS in fact feasible. Click HERE for a copy of the Executive Summary of the study findings.
May 2016: we submitted a grant application to USDA to help fund the start-up of the NWCT food hub.
June 2016: we learned that we were awarded $50,000 from the Community Foundation of Northwest Connecticut to carry out advanced food hub business planning.
July 2016: we expect to put out a "Request for Information" to individuals or organizations interested in playing a key role in management or operation of the NWCT food hub. Check back here for updates.
For more information or updates contact: Bill Burgess.
Overview
The Northwest Connecticut (NWCT) Food Hub Feasibility Study was spearheaded by the Northwest Hills COG and Partners for Sustainable Healthy Communities, and was conducted by New Venture Advisors. The Study was pursued as part of an effort to support the region’s farmers in expanding and improving the profitability of their operations by providing new sales channels and marketing support and to give local consumers better access to local food.
Funding for this study was provided by the CT Dept. of Agriculture Farm Viability program and matched by in-kind contributions. This Study was critical in determining that sufficient supply and demand exists to justify the creation of a NWCT Food Hub. It also established what type of Food Hub would be most helpful to the farmers in our region and what type of infrastructure we would need. The business analysis concluded that revenue that could be generated once the hub got up and running would be greater than the costs of operating the hub and that there was a great deal of opportunity for additional revenue in future years.
During the course of this study we interviewed and surveyed over 70 growers in the region and over 30 buyers. We presented the findings of this research to both the 21 chief elected officials in the Northwest Hills Council of Governments and the full board of the NWCT Economic Development Corporation. As a result, both the NHCOG and NWCT EDC unanimously supported moving forward to create a hub.
Food Safety Resources
Food safety has become a prominent issue for growers, and conservationists who assist them, in planning and installing stewardship practices. With FDA's Produce Rule published in November 2015, many growers are taking steps to make changes to their management plans so they come into compliance, while others are upgrading what they have already put into place. Click HERE to visit the Wild Farm Alliance website