Interview with USDA

Last week, we interviewed Jim Barham of the USDA. Questions focused on how regional food hubs were truly affecting farmers.  We also discussed funding, assessing the gaps in the market and research, policy prescriptions, and failed food hubs. The conversation with Jim was one of the most informative providing guidance on how to sift through the information we have gathered. Included in the paper is a section on the failed food hubs which will highlight the “what not to do’s” when starting a food hub. The failed food hub case studies were reviewed this past weekend.  Jim also provided information on potential funding opportunities that food hubs can tap into. One such funding program is the Farmer’s and Local Food Promotion program, which just received an additional $15 million expansion for market intermediaries. 

Another major point that he highlighted was that foods hubs will soon be required to comply with the Food Safety Modernization Act. When this piece of legislation enters into effect food hubs will be required to be GAP certified. Assistance will be provided to growers in order meet the GAP standard.  For example, there will be a pilot program for groups of farmers to work together in order to insure that they are all meeting the GAP standards and to potentially reduce the costs of complying with the program.  This means that facilities will need to be up-to-date and that food hubs may need to find the resources to help farmers they wish to source from. Over all, Mr. Barham highlighted that food hubs have been particularly beneficial to mid-size farms.

In terms of a plan for the remainder of our time, Blake & I have entered into the writing phase of our project. We will have a very rough draft complete by April 20^th for Dr. Nicholson. 

Conversation with the Wallace Center

Last week, Blake spoke to the Wallace Center in relation to our research. The Wallace Center confirmed that we are on the right track and that our recommendations to the District will be extremely helpful in helping DC set up its food hub. Later on this week, we plan to have a meeting with USDA to get their perspective on the project. 

Conversation with Greg Heller of American Communities Trust

In our conversation with Greg Heller of American Communities Trust, we had a completely different model of food hub revealed to us than the stereotypical linear model that is touted by the USDA and the Wallace Center. Instead of understanding food hubs as entities that take the produce from the farmer to the consumer through a new middleman, Mr. Heller understands food hubs as a clustering of the local activities that are found within an area. In other words, a food hub brings together the already locally established food economy and consolidates its activities under one area. Blake & I were very excited to hear this definition of a food hub since one of our major concerns regarding the DC food hub plan is the potential for the food hub to wipe out the activities that are already occurring. If DC truly wants to benefit the local food economy, it needs to focus on where the gaps are in the market. This will most likely involve another study being done and setting up a meeting with the active players in the DC local food economy.

One major theme that will come from a conversation with active members in the local food economy is overcoming one of the major issues in terms of growth: real estate. Both DC Central Kitchen and Arcadia said there biggest issue in expanding their operations was the lack of storage space necessary to expand. Both Arcadia and DC Central Kitchen both currently have an amazing deal on their current storage space. It is essentially rent free. The key to the Baltimore food hub that Greg Heller set up was the deal that the city of Baltimore made for the real estate where the food hub will be located. DC may want to look into a similar deal in terms of warehouse rental space or in terms of property. 

Partnerships with other regional food hubs.

Food hub activity in the areas surrounding the District of Columbia is quite rich.  For example,

The Southern Maryland Food Hub is one major player that is building a food hub. Currently the project is being overseen by the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission (SMADC). This organization functions as a nonprofit, and after 10-12 years of negotiations on the food hub, they are likely to break ground within the next three years.  One major point that came out of the conversation with SMADC was their willingness to be a potential supplier to the DC food hub. This may be something DC will want to consider when delving deeper into the creation of its own food hub.

There is potential for DC to compete with the surrounding regions for supply of local foods from farmers to their food hubs. Southern Maryland is an area that has been working extremely hard to build up its capability to supply a food hub. This has meant aid to farmers transitioning from an economy that was once highly focused on the production of tobacco to the production of fruits and vegetables. Southern Maryland has been doing a lot of technical training for their farmers. Therefore, one of the major questions DC needs to ask itself is whether it makes sense to duplicate the efforts that are already occurring around its borders. If SMADC’s food hub has the ability to supply the DC market and provide the necessary technical training to farmers, it may be worth looking into the partnership with other food hubs.  One of the biggest complaints for the existing food hub in DC, DC Central Kitchen and organizations like Arcadia is that issue of seasonality. Partnerships may help assuage any issues that surround seasonality as DC will not have to rely solely on the farmers that are currently associated with its food hub.