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Farmers Markets and Local Food Marketing

Food Hubs: Building Stronger Infrastructure for Small and Mid-Size Producers



“As I talk to farmers across the country, regardless of what they produce or where, they all share one common challenge: how to best move product from the farm to the marketplace. This is especially crucial for small and midsize farmers who may not have enough capital to own their own trucks, their own refrigeration units, or their own warehouse space. They might not have the resources to develop sophisticated distribution routes, build effective marketing campaigns or network with regional buyers and customers.“ — USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, April 2011
Many farmers and ranchers, especially smaller operations, are challenged by the lack of distribution and processing infrastructure of appropriate scale that would give them wider access to retail, institutional, and commercial foodservice markets, where demand for local and regional foods continues to rise. Food hubs can help. By offering a combination of production, aggregation, distribution, and marketing services, food hubs make it possible for producers to gain entry into new and additional markets that would be difficult or impossible to access on their own. The USDA is committed to food hubs because we believe that food hubs offer strong and sound infrastructure support to producers across the country which will also help build a stronger regional food system. Here are some links to USDA's research, findings, and support of food hubs. NEW: Regional Food Hub Resource Guide (.pdf) USDA Food Hub Research, Releases, Blog Posts, and Articles Food Hubs in the News Working List of Food Hubs (.pdf) Resources for Food Hubs What We Are Reading and Other Informative Research For more information, please contact foodhubs@ams.usda.gov.

Additional Information


		HFFI and Food Deserts


		Food and Nutrition Service's Farm to School Program


		Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food


		USDA Blog


		Rural Development


		Agricultural Marketing Service's Marketing Services Division

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Last Modified Date: 07/09/2012



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