FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
\nDate: December 14, 2022
\nContact: Audrey Schwartzberg, ANCA Communications Officer, aschwartzberg@adirondack.org,
\n518.891.6200<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
ADK Food Hub to expand local food production, distribution and access<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
TUPPER LAKE, N.Y. \u2014 North Country farmers and food producers will soon be able to access shared
\nregional processing facilities, distribution services and marketing opportunities, thanks to a successful
\ngrant proposal from The Hub, also known as the ADK Food Hub, in Tupper Lake, N.Y. The Adirondack
\nNorth Country Association (ANCA) announced the small farm and food hub has been awarded nearly
\n$500,000 in grant funding through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Local Food
\nPromotion Program.<\/p>\n
Hub owner Cherie Whitten will use the $395,000 grant and $100,000 of largely in-kind matching funds to
\nprovide small-scale and low-income food producers with support for production, aggregation,
\ndistribution and marketing of local food. The project will ultimately bring more high-quality, nutritious
\nfood to rural and low-income consumers who currently have limited access to local farm products.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am so pleased to have resources to help fund my passion for healthy local food production and the
\nrelated economic strength of our community,\u201d said Whitten, who also owns and operates Whitten Family
\nFarm in Winthrop, N.Y. \u201cI hope to utilize this grant to support the growth of local food production
\ninfrastructure, focusing on crops that are the most profitable to our farmers and nutritious for our
\nconsumers. I hope this project helps to retain a portion of the billion dollars that leaves the North
\nCountry each year to purchase non-locally produced food. The retention of our local food dollars should
\nhave a strong positive economic impact in our area.\u201d<\/p>\n
Founded by Whitten in 2017, The Hub is a local food aggregation site, market and eatery that carries
\nproducts from over 39 area farms and markets raw and processed products directly to consumers.
\nThe goal of Whitten\u2019s project is to provide research-based resources and technical support for small
\nfarms and food businesses, provide aggregated processing and distribution services, and increase
\ncommunity access to raw, processed and value-added local food products. The project will also provide
\neducation and outreach to producers and consumers who would benefit from the Hub\u2019s expansion.<\/p>\n
ANCA Local Food Systems Program Director Adam Dewbury provided Whitten with technical support
\nduring the grant application process. Carly Summers of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Essex County
\nfielded targeted questions from Whitten, and Hub employee Shannon Klein provided administrative
\nsupport.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor years, Cherie has been working tirelessly to increase access to local food in our region, especially for
\nmiddle- and low-income residents,\u201d said Dewbury. \u201cThis grant will be a key component in allowing her to
\nachieve her vision, and her project will have a significant positive impact on local communities, farmers
\nand our local food economy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dewbury said ANCA will support Whitten\u2019s team with capturing and reporting metrics, as well as with
\naggregation mapping. He added, \u201cThis project aligns closely with several of ANCA\u2019s strategic goals that
\nfocus on expanding marketing opportunities and supply chain networks for North Country producers.
\nWe\u2019re happy to support The Hub in this important work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Designed to roll out over three years, the project will focus on research, planning, education and
\noutreach during its first year. By year two, The Hub plans to operate a full-scale commercial kitchen that
\nwill provide skilled staff, specialized equipment and a shared space where existing and aspiring food
\nbusinesses can process and package products for market. The facility is projected to handle produce
\nfrom over 80 small farms in low-income areas and incubate at least ten new value-added food
\nprocessing businesses.<\/p>\n
ANCA Executive Director Elizabeth Cooper said, \u201cWe applaud Cherie for her vision and hard work
\ndeveloping this project and thank the USDA for supporting her efforts. The Hub\u2019s research and facilities
\nexpansion will go a long way in strengthening the region\u2019s local food economy and providing aggregated
\nservices that are critical to the survival of our rural region\u2019s small farms and food businesses. We believe
\nthis is a model for sustainable economic growth, where producers and consumers benefit, while
\nsupporting a strong local food system.\u201d<\/p>\n
ANCA is an independent, nonprofit corporation with a transformational approach to building prosperity
\nacross northern New York. Using innovative strategies for food systems, clean energy, small businesses,
\nand equity and inclusion, ANCA delivers targeted interventions that create and sustain wealth and value
\nin local communities.<\/p>\n
Attached: one (1) PDF and one (1) photo
\nPhoto: The ADK Food Hub in Tupper Lake, N.Y. has been awarded $495,000 in grant funding as part of the
\nUSDA\u2019s Local Food Promotion Program.
\n###<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: December 14, 2022 Contact: Audrey Schwartzberg, ANCA Communications Officer, aschwartzberg@adirondack.org, 518.891.6200 Tupper Lake Food Hub Awarded $500K Grant Through USDA ADK Food Hub to expand local food production, distribution and access TUPPER LAKE, N.Y. \u2014 North Country farmers and food producers will soon be able to access shared regional […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5795","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n