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[Livingontheland] Resilient Ideas: Processing Food Where the Food Is
- From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>
- To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
- Subject: [Livingontheland] Resilient Ideas: Processing Food Where the Food Is
- Date: Tue, 05 Oct 2010 13:28:06 -0600
Resilient Ideas: Processing Food Where the Food Is
Helping independent farmers process their produce builds local food security.
by Ari LeVaux posted Sep 09, 2010
http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/a-resilient-community/processing-food-where-the-food-is
Most farmers get pennies on each dollar that consumers spend on packaged
food. While many growers speak wistfully of adding value to their product, it
takes a huge investment in stainless steel machinery and certifications to
make packaged apple juice from raw apples. The Mission Mountain Food
Enterprise Center (MMFEC) in Ronan, Montana, is a nonprofit food-processing
center that helps farmers learn how to convert their produce to commercially
viable higher-value packaged products, safely and legally. This not only
gives them a bigger slice of the retail pie, but opens up new markets:
Schools and hospitals are more likely to buy carrots if theyre pre-sliced.
As these farmers shore up their financial security, the surrounding
communities benefit from increased food security. The equipment at places
like the MMFEC enables the preservation of local food for year-round
consumption, while making agriculture more viable for smaller, independent,
and new farmers.
- [Livingontheland] Resilient Ideas: Processing Food Where the Food Is, Tradingpost, 10/05/2010
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