Food Hub Feasibility Study Promotes Knoxville's Farm-To-Table Movement

More and more area families want fruits, vegetables, and meats from small, local producers instead of commercial growers shipping cross-country. And area chefs value local farm products, both for freshness and to showcase regional cuisine in their restaurants.

"product storage, distribution, and marketing are beyond the expertise and resources of many small local farms"

Connecting family and restaurant consumers to the Knoxville region's farmers has been a challenge though—product storage, distribution, and marketing are beyond the expertise and resources of many small local farms. But the recent work of area planners and agricultural economists will help remove barriers.

MPC was awarded a grant by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in September, 2014 to assess the regional agricultural market. The Knoxville Regional Food Hub Feasibility Study is looking at supply, demand, and interests of farmers, chefs, grocery stores, distributors, hospitals, and schools across the Knoxville foodshed.

Researchers are evaluating the idea of creating a food hub, a central facility with a business management function that helps area farmers collect, store, process, deliver, and promote locally produced food.

Agricultural economists Chad Hellwinckel and Margarita Velandia, with The University of Tennessee's Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, are leading the research effort. To date their work has included examining local farm infrastructure and convening focus groups of fruit, vegetable, and livestock producers to hear about challenges in small-scale food production. Next up will be a survey of area chefs to hear their thoughts about the region's food economy.

A regional steering committee for the food hub project will meet in November to discuss early findings and provide feedback to the researchers.

Near-term study outcomes will include an overview of the current status of supply and demand for local and regional food, as well as some immediate next steps that can increase connections between the region's producers and consumers.

Long-term, a food hub or a partnership of producers, distributors, and marketers may be established to support regional food production.

Final findings from the Food Hub Feasibility Study are expected in March, 2016.

For additional information or to participate in the study, contact Liz Albertson at liz.albertson@knoxmpc.org or 865-215-3804.

Learn more about food hubs:

U.S. Department of Agriculture provides an overview of the regional food hub concept. Read it here.

Hoosier Harvest in Indiana is a model of an online food hub.