The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has launched a new online resource, the Food Hub Web Page, which it has said will make it easier for small- and mid-sized producers to find markets for their products.
The resource allows producers, buyers and other in the industry to access a central clearinghouse for resources, news and information related to food hubs and similar enterprises.
According to the USDA, the site's contents will expand and evolve as it develops its understanding of the business model, which pairs producers with buyers to serve local and regional food systems.
AMS said that, ultimately, these enterprises 'support local economies' and create jobs by offering services enabling farmers to break into higher-volume markets.
'We know that farmers, especially small- and mid-sized producers, often have big challenges when it comes to getting their products efficiently off the farm and into the marketplace,' said Rayne Pegg, AMS administrator. 'But we also know they don't have a lot of time to search for internet solutions.
'The Food Hub Web page is a good place to start,' he added. 'It is equally useful to entrepreneurs, advocates, researchers and others who want to strengthen regional food systems and local economies.'
The web page features information from numerous USDA agencies and other leading research and practitioner organisations in the public, non-profit and private sectors.
In addition, the USDA said that it is preparing a more comprehensive resource guide for food hubs and similar enterprises for release later this year.
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