Western Massachusetts
Food Processing Center
OPERATED BY: Franklin County Community Development Corporation, Greenfield, MA
MISSION: To promote economic development through entrepreneurship, provide
opportunities for sustaining local agriculture, and promote best practices for food
producers.
FACILITIES: 100- and 60-gallon steam kettles; Hot-bottling/filling automation
Convection and conventional ovens and range; Large scale baking capacity
25-gallon tilting skillet; Large capacity mixers, choppers, shredders;
Dry, cold and frozen storage
Shipping & receiving area w/loading dock
24-hour secure access
Vegetable wash and prep areas
Complete sanitation program and equipment
Shared office space and equipment
COSTS: $600 annual membership fee, plus $38 per hour for all facilities
Dry Storage: $35 - $45 per month
Cold Storage: $8 - $24 per week
WEBSITE: http://www.fccdc.org/fpcabout.html#services
Piedmont Food & Agricultural
Processing Center
OPERATED BY: Orange County Agricultural Economic Development, Hillsborough, NC
(Opening August 2010)
MISSION: 10,400 sq. ft. business incubator serving farmers and food entrepreneurs in
a 22-county region of Central North Carolina . A primary goal of the Hillsborough,
North Carolina facility is to add value to local farm products and incubate new local
food businesses.
FACILITIES: Wet Kitchen; Bakery / Food Prep Kitchen; Mixed Use Food Grade Room;
Vegetable Wash, Grade, & Pack Line; Refrigerated Storage; Frozen Food Storage;
Dry Materials & Product Storage; Two Loading Docks; Retail Sales Area; Conference
Room; Entrepreneur Offices
OTHER SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED: Food Brokering and Sales; Product Aggregation;
Inventory Storage & Management; One-Stop Shipping and Pick Up
COSTS: Affordable Hourly Rental Rates – estimated at about $25 per hour, as well as
unrefrigerated, refrigerated, and frozen storage fees based on pallet area or linear
feet of shelf used.
WEBSITE:
http://www.orangecountyfarms.org/PiedmontFoodAgriculturalProcessingCenter.a
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BLOOMINGTON KITCHEN
INCUBATOR
OPERATED BY: Local Growers Guild, a cooperative of farmers, retailers and
community members dedicated to strengthening the local food economy in
Southern Indiana through education, direct support and market connections.
MISSION: To support the creation of new businesses in southern Indiana that
strengthen the local food economy. We help farmers develop value-added
products using ingredients from their farms. We help chefs preserve their best
recipes in value-added products We help individuals become successful food
entrepreneurs.
FACILITIES: Middle Way Food Works, a local catering business specializing in healthy
meals for children and seniors, rents space out to small food businesses through
the Bloomington Kitchen Incubator.
OTHER SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED: Business planning and development, food
product development, identifying market opportunities, compliance with legal and
health code regulations, office services, appropriate storage and warehousing
options.
COSTS: Information not provided
WEBSITE: http://www.bloomingtonkitchenincubator.org/
Rutgers Food Innovation Center
OPERATED BY: New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES) at Rutgers, The
State University of New Jersey
MISSION: To stimulate and support sustainable economic growth and prosperity to
the food and agricultural industries in the mid-Atlantic region by providing
businesses with innovative research, customized practical solutions, resources for
business incubation, and a trusted source for information and guidance.
FACILITIES: The Food Innovation Center is operating from a 23,000 sq. ft food
business incubator facility in Bridgeton. The Shared-Use Processing Area enables a
broad range of value-added agricultural and food products to be produced such as
fresh-cut vegetables and fruits, jams, jellies, soups, sauces, beverages, pies, cakes,
breads, seasoning blends, entrees, side dishes, etc. The “cold process” area is
designed for preparation and processing of produce in the raw state. Activities
include post harvest preparation, cleaning, peeling, size reduction, and packaging.
The “hot process” area presents an extensive range of process capabilities
including blanching, steaming, cooking, roasting, baking, and liquid filling and
labeling. This enables a wide array of products packaged for retail and foodservice
sale. The “dry process” area is devoted to equipment used for producing items
such as fruit pies, breads, cookies and other baked goods, as well as seasoning
blends, and dehydrated fruits, vegetables, and herbs. The “cold assembly” area
allows for packaging of refrigerated, frozen or ambient products.
Rutgers Food Innovation Center
(continued)
OTHER SERVICES: The Client Services Area (highlighted in gold and red colors on the
diagram above) allows for both marketing and technology expertise and services
to be provided to clients. The Client Services Area includes a Product Development
Research Kitchen and Sensory Evaluation Center, Microbiology and Analytical
Laboratories, Consumer Research and Focus Group Area, Training and Education
Conference Rooms and Library, and Office and Administrative Support.
COSTS: Information not found.
WEBSITE: http://www.foodinnovation.rutgers.edu/index.html
A detailed description of the facility, including a floor plan is available here:
http://www.foodinnovation.rutgers.edu/FacilityDescription.pdf
Viroqua Local Food Incubator
OPERATED BY: Chippewa Valley Producers and Buyers Co-op , a multi-stakeholder
cooperative including producers, processors, and institutions (Viroqua, WI -currently still in the planning stage
MISSION: To market, sell and distribute fresh and value-added food products
FACILITIES: Located in the former NCR building, along with an incubator for other
types of business, it is anticipated that the building will serve as a central
distribution point for local produce. It will also house other local food businesses
and provide space for local food community activities. Planning is currently in
progress.
COSTS: Currently unknown -- while multi-stakeholder cooperatives are common in
Europe and Canada, they are extremely rare in the US. Producers, Buyers,
Processors, Distributors and Employees will all have a seat at the table in
determining fair prices and co-op policies.
WEBSITE: Not currently available – some information is available from the Viroqua
Food Cooperative Blog: http://viroquafood.coop/viroqua-food-coopblog/bid/26311/The-GOOD-FOOD-REVOLUTION-Driftless-Style
Mission Mountain Food Processing
Center
OPERATED BY: Lake County Community Development Corporation (Ronan, MT)
MISSION: To retain agricultural food dollars in Montana communities. We strive to
meet our goal through the incubation of food businesses and the through the
development of source verified, value added agricultural products that are grown,
processed and packaged in Montana and marketed to our farm to cafeteria and
restaurant partners.
FACILITIES: A full function food processing, research and development facility
consisting of 11 major modules along with office space, conference and lunch
rooms, as well as warehouse storage for dry and perishable agricultural goods.
Facilities include the following: Commercial Kitchen, Production Room , Dry Fill
Room, Packaging Room, Harvest Wash Area, USDA Meat Room , Cooler Freezers,
Lab & Test Equipment, Milling Room , and Warehouse
COSTS: Vary, depending on facilities being used. Kitchen rental is $22 per hour; the
Harvest Wash Area and Milling Room rent for $10 per hour; cooler and freezer
rental is $40 per pallet per month. Warehouse space rents for $25 per pallet per
month.
WEBSITE: http://www.mmfec.com/fpc.html
Blue Ridge Food Ventures
OPERATED BY: Blue Ridge Food Ventures, a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) held
solely by AdvantageWest Economic Development Group (Asheville, NC)
MISSION: Blue Ridge Food Ventures, LLC is for entrepreneurs, farmers, food
manufacturers, restaurateurs, herb growers, caterers, bakers and chefs—anyone
who has an idea for a food product or service that needs a place to produce and
package foods for human consumption.
FACILITIES: Includes three processing areas as well as separate dry storage areas and
walk-in coolers and freezers: A wet product preparation area includes a full-scale
commercial kitchen for preparing sauces, jellies, salsas, pestos and the like for
bottling, as well as preparing food for immediate consumption. A dry product
preparation area for bakers and caterers and the preparation and packaging of
other dry products such as herbs, teas or trail mixes. A natural products
production area where a variety of herb and plant materials can be dried, crushed
and extracted to be used in tinctures, extracts, teas, and culinary herbs is being
installed and should be in operation by January 2010.
COSTS: $ 22 per hour per production area
WEBSITE: http://www.advantagewest.com/content.cfm/content_id/144/section/food
The Wisconsin Innovation Kitchen
OPERATED BY: Hodan Center, Inc., aCommunity Rehabilitation Program for Adults
with Disabilities. Hodan Center also operates six resale/retail stores in six different
counties, as well as a full service catering business. (Mineral Point, WI – Grand
opening is July 11, 2010)
MISSION: To help new and existing farmers and food entrepreneurs develop and grow
exciting food businesses that showcase the benefits of local foods.
FACILITIES: 10,000 square foot facility. This includes a 3,000 square foot retail space
for and 7,000 square feet devoted to kitchens and food storage. There will be four
separate kitchen areas where three different processors can work at the same
time. These include a canning area, baking / catering area, Dehydration area, and a
dry production area. In addition, there is a large retail sales area available, as well
as a large meeting room for food and community events.
OTHER SERVICES: On-site business support is available through our Entrepreneur in
Residence program, provided by Iowa County Area Economic Development.
COST: Hourly rental rate is $15.00
WEBSITE: http://www.wi.innovationkitchen.org/100.html
Floor plan of facility is available here:
http://www.wi.innovationkitchen.org/images1/WiNK_floor_plan3.pdf
Photo Tour: http://www.wi.innovationkitchen.org/232.html
The Appalachian Center for
Economic Networks (ACEnet)
OPERATED BY: The Appalachian Center for Economic Networks, Inc. (ACEnet)
(Athens, OH )
MISSION: ACEnet’s mission is to build networks, support innovation, and facilitate
collaboration with Appalachian Ohio’s businesses to create a strong, sustainable
regional economy. Offering businesses access to an affordable food manufacturing
facility is an integral component of the services offered by ACEnet. Located on the
Athens campus, ACEnet's shared-use Food Manufacturing and Commercial Kitchen
Facility hosts over 150 businesses each year.
FACILITIES: ACEnet's Food Manufacturing and Commercial Kitchen Facility operates
as a shared-use facility for over 150 businesses every year, and those numbers
continue to increase. One of the first three of its kind in the US, this facility
provides production, storage, refrigeration, freezer, and distribution space. With
the success of the Food Facility, ACEnet has expanded storage and distribution to
Building A as well as to the Nelsonville Business Incubation Center.
COSTS: Unknown
WEBSITE: http://www.acenetworks.org/
Farm Market Kitchen
OPERATED BY: The Living Lake’s Heritage, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
based in Algoma, Wisconsin.
MISSION: Make a shared-use commercial kitchen available to residents of Northeast
Wisconsin wishing to start or expand a food-related small business, includingg
rowers and producers, caterers, restaurants, chefs, bakers, cooking class
instructors, special-event vendors, service clubs, community groups, and nonprofit organizations
FACILITIES: A regional shared-use food processing business incubator. Anyone wishing
to produce and market a food product can find everything they need to get
started—from culinary supplies and equipment to food marketing and business
planning assistance, including: a certified, commercially equipped kitchen for food
preparation, cooking demonstrations, or education and training; an on-site Farm
Market store providing an immediate sales opportunity for food products
produced within the Farm Market Kitchen; cooperative opportunities enabling
users to access additional marketing and networking assistance; meeting space for
special events and community meetings.
COST: Kitchen incubator -- $12 per hour
WEBSITE: http://www.farmmarketkitchen.com/default.asp