North coast growers association is developing the harvest hub a strategic initiative designed to enhance market access for local food producers within humboldt county and beyond

This project will establish a distribution hub that directly links farmers ranchers and food processors with institutional buyers including humboldt county school districts streamlining the procurement of local food. The harvest hub will facilitate the development of new systems for ordering and distribution enabling the efficient sourcing of locally grown and raised food to meet the humboldt county school districts purchasing goals. The project will support the mapping of producer needs and barriers collaboratively creating a plan to update policies and standard operating procedures. The anticipated outcomes include increased market opportunities for producers reducing their operational costs and workload. Key beneficiaries of this project are the local farmers and ranchers who will gain greater access to wholesale markets and the humboldt county school districts who will be able to provide students with increased access to nutrientdense produce throughout the school year. This initiative represents a significant step towards strengthening the local food system and fostering economic vitality for stakeholders involved in the production and distribution of agricultural products.