New Project to Advance Yolo Food Hub
Developing the Yolo Food Hub will strengthen local farms, improve healthy food access, and provide a healthier food and farming ecosystem throughout the Greater Sacramento Region.
Valley Vision, on behalf of several local partners, has been awarded a grant from the US Department of Agriculture’s Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) to support the establishment of the Yolo Food Hub.
Yolo Food Hub is a new facility that will aggregate, process, store, and distribute farm produce grown in Yolo County and surrounding areas on behalf of farmers in the area. Located in Esparto, Yolo Food Hub will expand food production and distribution channels in Yolo County and the Greater Sacramento Region, while at the same time improving healthy food access, stabilizing food markets, increasing employment and job training opportunities, and providing pandemic relief for farmers.
“Yolo Food Hub will help establish a more diverse and equitable food system – one that allows small and mid-size producers to sell fresh, nutritious food more affordably to schools, institutions and agencies, and to swiftly and efficiently donate oversupplies to lower-income and precariously-employed consumers.” – Dr. Maria McVarish, Esparto Community Member
Food hubs help connect farmers and food entrepreneurs with regional markets and institutional buyers, such as schools, hospitals, and food banks to access source-identified, locally grown products. The funds from this LFPP grant will be used to generate recommendations and a funding strategy to establish and sustain the new Yolo Food Hub. As part of the grant, farmers will receive training on how to reach institutional buyers, such as schools, hospitals, and restaurants, which will buy produce and goods from Yolo Food Hub.
Yolo Food Hub is one of the priority recommendations of the 2021 Sacramento Region Food System Action Plan-which is to build a network of food hubs to connect farmers to markets and increase institutional procurement. The Yolo Food Hub builds upon the 2014 food hub feasibility analysis conducted by SACOG through the Rural-Urban Connections Strategy (RUCS). Yolo Food Hub will support several other food hubs in the region, including Spork Food Hub and the Capay Valley Farm Shop.
“The creation of the Yolo Food Hub creates opportunities for farmers to connect to a broader array of local markets. The Spork Food Hub brings long-standing relationships with local school districts and the opportunity for students to receive the best quality produce the region can supply. By working together, we can strengthen the resiliency of the regional food system.” – Spork Food Hub
In addition, the new Yolo Food Hub will support a regional network of organizations by providing logistical support in aggregation, value-added processing, storage, and distribution services. By providing a variety of value-creating services, Yolo Food Hub will enable farmers to concentrate on growing food for targeted markets, strengthening operations, and scaling their operations.
“Expanding the market reach for agricultural producers and increasing the collaborative efforts of the Yolo Food Hub project partners is ripely timed and exciting. Capay Valley Farm Shop has been operating as a farmer and community-owned food hub since 2007 and is committed to bringing our expertise and enthusiasm to the Yolo Food Hub.” – Tracy Harding, Capay Valley Farm Shop
The cost of developing Yolo Food Hub is estimated at $10 million, $2 million of which has been committed by Yolo County for site acquisition. The Yolo Food Hub project team includes: New Season Community Development Corporation (NSCDC), Capay Valley Farm Shop (CVFS), Yolo Food Bank, Durst Organic Growers, Spork Food Hub, Hatamiya Group, Kitchen Table Advisors, and Valley Vision as the project manager.
For questions about Yolo Food Hub or how to get involved, please contact Grace Kaufman at Grace.Kaufman@ValleyVision.org.