Cat Wilson was our guest speaker on Wednesday, 3/20. She told us about the Catskills Food Hub, located here in Liberty, New York. The food hub is an aggregation and distribution center for local and regional products including fresh produce, packaged meat and dairy products, and shelf-stable pantry items. The Food Hub is a non-profit with a mission of education and working with local farmers and producers to acquire the knowledge and safety standards necessary to expand their retail and wholesale markets, thus growing the agriculture economy in the region.  Working with community partners, they are committed to improving the viability of local agriculture, access to fresh food,  and the health outcomes for Sullivan county and the region.

Their project partners include Cornell Cooperative Extension of Sullivan County, the County of Sullivan Industrial Development Agency, Hudson Valley Agribusiness Development Corporation, Sullivan Renaissance, producers, and small business owners.

 

They look for demand within a 50 mile radius. Essentially they connect growers with local businesses that have a need for fresh farm goods. It is a win-win situation for both the seller and the grower. The grower may have a small amount of product to sell, but through the aggregated system, they gain access to viable markets. Delivery of these products is done through their standard route, and those outside of that route can pick up. Farmers get educated about washing, packing, shipping and pricing their goods so that they are more likely to be successful. The restaurants and businesses gain access to quality local products at reasonable prices.

 

We thank Cat for joining us at Liberty Rotary and explaining this important organization that is helping the local farmer and local food purveyors connect to find greater success.