Regional Food Hub Resource Guide

Publisher: United States Department of Agriculture

Author(s): Barham, James, Tropp, Debra, Enterline, Kathleen, Farbman, Jeff, Fisk, John, Kiraly, Stacia

Document Type: Guide

Format: Electronic

Free of cost: Yes

Description:

This resource guide is designed to give readers a greater understanding of regional food hubs, including strategies to assist in their development and growth. This guide is organized into four main sections: (1) clarifying the regional food hub concept, (2) regional food hub impacts, (3) economic viability of regional food hubs, barriers to growth, and strategies to address them, (4) resources available to support regional food hub development. The target audiences for this guide are food entrepreneurs and their supporters who are interested in starting food hubs and operators of food hubs who are interested in expanding. This guide is also intended to help philanthropic foundations, public agencies, lending institutions, and economic development organizations understand the nature, function, and operating models of food hubs, helping them to engage hubs in their areas.

Resource Link: Visit web site

Guide excerpt: Preview

Growing Food Connection Topic: community food connections

Main Food Topics: agriculture, food access, food availability, food distribution, food marketing, food processing, food procurement, food production, food retail, food security, food system, gathering/foraging

Sub Food Topics: Affordability, SNAP, WIC, agricultural practices, buy local, community garden, community supported agriculture, farm, farm stand, farmers market, food hub, food infrastructure, food stamps, fruit, grocery store, mobile market, produce, value-added, vegetables

Public Policy Topics: Physical projects, Plans, Programs, Public investment

Geographic Scale: County, Municipality, Neighborhood, Region, State/province, Suburban, Urban

Local government or Regional resource focus:

Does the resource address the food security needs of underserved populations in rural, suburban, or urban settings? YES