Food Distribution and the Rise of the Food Hub

As we narrowly dodge a CP Rail shutdown .... our thoughts turn back to the fragility of our food distribution system

Pre-pandemic we didn't talk about this much other than #BCbuylocal and #slowfood - conscious decision making and the power of your wallet. A major flood, border blockades, a war and an imminent rail strike later, it seems we should be talking about it a little more. And more than talking, we need to turn the existing food supply and distribution system on its head. This is much bigger than local farmers' markets and Community Supported Agriculture. This is re-imagining a regionally-scaled processing and distribution system; small scale trucking, smaller aggregation sites, regional abattoirs, sites suitable for small batch processing and a connection between buyer and farmer that is more direct.

We have recently been involved with feasibility analysis of two very different local food hubs; each specific to their region, but with a common agenda of striving to promote increased production growth, support farmers, and make local food accessible to larger markets. The common vision is to enable small farmers to expand production and pool resources with other farmers to reach a greater production capacity and enter a larger, more stable market than they could otherwise have access to.

There is initiative here in BC to push the idea of community based food hubs into localized reality. The BC Food Hub Network has significantly expanded since the initial pilot and demonstration site was established at Commissary Connect in Vancouver in 2019.

So, what is a food hub? Food hubs offer food and agriculture businesses access to commercial processing space, equipment, expertise and resources to support business development and growth. To date, there are food hubs operating or under development in twelve communities in B.C:

Commissary Connect - Vancouver (Opened February 2019)

Plenty & Grace - Surrey (Opened July 2020)

The Dock+ - Port Alberni (Opened July 2020)

Sprout Kitchen - Quesnel (Now open)

Zest Commercial Food Hub - Salmon Arm (Now open)

Cowichan Farm & Food Hub – Cowichan Valley (Opening 2022)

The Stir - Kamloops (Opening 2022)

Kitchen Connect - Victoria (Opening Spring 2022)\

Fraser Valley Artisans Food Hub - Abbotsford (Opening 2022)

Centre for Seafood Innovation - Bowser, Vancouver Island (Opened April 2021)

Kootenay Boundary Food Hub – Rock Creek and Greenwood (Opening 2021)

Kootenay Farms Food Hub and Innovation Centre - Creston (Now open)

Check out a food hub near you - learn about your local suppliers and buy direct.

Visualization of the Okanagan Food Innovation Hub by @motivarchitects