WINTHROP, N.Y. — The Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) will use state-grant funding to build a processing and retail facility that will expand local food access as well as markets for North Country farms and food businesses.
The project will create a NY 20-C–licensed retail store and processing kitchen called the Real Food Hub in Winthrop, which is located in St. Lawrence County. It will be led by Cherie and Dan Whitten of Whitten Family Farm in Winthrop and the ADK Food Hub in Tupper Lake.
In its announcement, ANCA started by saying, “In our rural region of northern New York, where access to local food is often limited by remoteness, transportation costs, a short growing season, and other challenges, a new food hub will help bridge the gap between local farms and consumers.”
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“We are thrilled to be establishing this new food hub with the Whittens, who are an indispensable force in our local food system,” Jon Ignatowski, ANCA’s manager of food systems business, added in the announcement. “The Real Food Hub is going to catalyze the local food economy in the northwest corner of our region, resulting in more market opportunities for small farms and increased food access for residents in four counties.
A grant of more than $468,000 grant from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets’ food access expansion program is helping pay for the more than $520,000 project. Construction is set to begin this spring.
“This project will reduce food insecurity and significantly increase the resiliency of our food system,” he said. “We are grateful to New York’s Ag and Markets for recognizing this critical need in our region and for providing funding to support this effort.”
Located in close proximity to dozens of small farms and food businesses, the new facility will reduce transportation costs and allow producers to process and store large quantities of vegetables that can be sold at retail establishments consistently throughout the year, ANCA said.
The Real Food Hub will support a variety of raw and value-added local foods “to be sold at competitive pricing in convenient locations across the region.” The goal is to make it easier for North Country residents, including underserved and disadvantaged households, to purchase fresh and nutritious local foods at an affordable price.
“By streamlining processing, storage and delivery systems, this facility will expand markets for farmers and increase the availability of local products in stores,” Cherie Whitten said. “It will ultimately make local food more affordable and accessible for all residents, including those who are shopping on a tight budget or through nutrition assistance programs.”
