NE GA Food Bank Spearheads New Program to Help Working Farmer

The Food Bank of Northeast Georgia in Athens is spearheading a new program that would allow backyard gardeners and family farms to earn some extra income by selling their produce and products to retailers.

At the Hart County Board of Commissioners meeting last week, the board heard from the President and CEO John Baker.

Baker told the board about the program, called the Food Hub, that is now out of the planning stages and ready for business.

“Folks have been struggling with jobs,” Baker told the Board. “So the thought has always been, ‘How can we help folks with jobs?’ We centered our discussions on a food hub with individual quick frozen manufacturing capacity.”

Baker said the way it would work is the Food Bank would take the produce that was locally grown by backyard gardeners, freeze it and sell it to retailers in the metro Atlanta and Georgia area.

“What that means is that blueberries, all kinds of crops, even sweet potato fries we can make, run through the process. Those frozen vegetables you get down at Walmart or wherever you go to the grocery store, those are the kinds of things we can do,” Baker said.

According to Baker, the Food Bank is working with the University of Georgia to develop the program, which he said is open to all local family farmers and backyard gardeners who might be interested.

“Those facilities will be accessible to local farmers,” Baker explained. “Especially those wanting to grow organic or locally grown. We’ve got staff on hand and we’re working with the University of Georgia and Georgia Organic to get those farmers attached to markets in Athens, Atlanta and other big cities. We have distribution mechanisms we can use and help those farmers make a good living.”

Baker told the Board the Food Hub will enable the backyard gardener, small and family farms to sell their bumper crops all year round because the produce will be quick frozen.

“With individual quick frozen, you can establish a year-round market,” he said. “And through the Food Hub we’ll have member farmers who can access food safety training and good agricultural practices and bring everybody up to where they can work with companies like Whole Foods and high-end restaurants. I think it’s going to be a really fabulous opportunity.”

The Food Hub program through the Northeast Georgia Food Bank is open to all local backyard growers, small farms and family farmers.

For more information, you can contact the Food Bank in Athens at 706-354-8191.