Lanark, Leeds and Grenville Food Hub would like to announce our new name TWO RIVERS FOOD HUB which will be based out of Smiths Falls. Now in partnership with the Rideau Community Health Services, Peter McKenna, Executive Director of Rideau Community Health Services (RCHS) stated “RCHS is excited to be a part of this development as it has the potential to improve access to great locally grown food and spur rural economic development”, we are in a position to further our development of a Food Hub that will bring together Farmers, Buyers, Distributors and Processors to enhance the local economy and drive the Local food movement in a health conscious, community minded way.
Two Rivers Food Hub will venture to provide value added services to farmer’s to reach local value chain markets by leveraging recent government investments for local food. The development is moving forward steadily. Currently a thorough business plan is being drafted and there is a potential to have some services being offered as early as this fall. Some of the services will be joint marketing for farmer’s, processing and packaging of goods and potentially a commercial kitchen. “Working with my neighbours to provide healthy local food is what makes sense, as a young farmer marketing is a large undertaking for just one person but as part of a network it strengthens our local market making good food more accessible and allows me to work on growing the family farm.” Brianna LaRose, Rosehill Ranch.
Food hubs are a growing interest in small and large communities that give back to the community and local economy. Although the model has seen exponential growth in the US in recent years co-ops and markets are emerging at an ever-growing rate here in Canada as well.
