Food hubs source local produce (e.g. meat, dairy, bread, seasonal fruit and vegetables and even drinks) and sell them through a hubs to the local community.

It’s a great model for everyone involved:

• Farmers and producers are able to get a fair price for their products and don’t need to focus as much of their attention on marketing and distributing them.
• Consumers are able to find and buy fresh, delicious local produce and are more connected to where their food comes from.
• The Food Hub becomes a place to gather in the community, connecting farmers and producers to each other and the people who buy food.

Food hubs range in scale from volunteer-run buying groups using temporary spaces for receipt and packing of goods (like community or school halls, churches and garages) to permanent and well-established hubs providing a variety of business, educational and/or food access services.

The Open Food Network has been working with food hubs for over ten years, and has put together a huge list of resources for new and established community food enterprises. Access them through the link below.