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Applications are now closed
Purpose
The Local Food Hub Startup and Development Fund is a one-time 2021 legislative appropriation of $112,500 (SB 3, Line 2005, Item 256, Senator Gene Davis) that will give one or more food entrepreneurs access to “seed” funding to use toward the development of a “food hub” that connects farm fresh food to consumers along the Wasatch Front.
Local food hubs are fresh and processed aggregation and distribution centers that focus on locally grown and produced food.
In order to be an eligible, an applicant must meet at least one of the following:
- Utah based for-profit business
- Utah based non-profit organization (with existing 501-c3)
- Utah farmer or group of farmers
- Utah rancher or group of ranchers
- Agricultural industry group
- Agricultural marketing entity
Ranking of project applications will be based on:
- Cost match by applicant
- Readiness of project (i.e. own or lease building and/or land, plumbing or utilities available, square footage of storage, processing, or refrigeration space, have financing etc.)
- Understanding of “food hub” concept
- Understanding of food production and market demand
- Demonstration of ability to increase profit for agricultural producers
- Demonstration of available sales markets
- Demonstration of ability to meet state law and local regulations
- Innovative method(s) of gathering, storing and distributing locally
grown foods
Examples of how funding might be used include, but are not limited to:
- food manufacturing equipment and cooler or freezer space
- food hub that converts ‘imperfect’ produce into cut and packaged bags of food for schools, hospitals, or restaurants
- a group of ranchers purchasing a meat freezer near the meat processing plant in their community so that they have a place to store cuts of meat for direct- to-consumer sales deliveries
Food Hub model:
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(Click on image for downloadable print version)
