Food 中心s link 消費者s with 地元で farmed food
BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) ― Move over 農業者s' markets. More than 300 food 中心s around the country are also 供給するing small farms another 出口 to sell 地元で raised food to 消費者s.
There's no one model for a food 中心 ― it depends on the market, the 場所 and what it is grown in that area. Some collect food from farms and 施し物 it out to 顧客s in 週刊誌 配達／演説／出産s. Other 中心s help 消費者s, restaurants, colleges and 会・原則s to source food online. But 生産者s, 消費者s and 専門家s all say food 中心s have an important thing in ありふれた: it's an efficient way to get 地元で raised food to those clamoring for it.
"We've seen in the last few years in particular as 地元の and 地域 food systems have grown and become not only larger but 肉親，親類d of more sophisticated that there has been a need for sort of the 兵たん業務 of moving food from the field to the 消費者s. And food 中心s 肉親，親類d of fill that space," said Doug O'Brien, 副 次官 for 田舎の 開発 for the U.S. Department of 農業. The 機関 spent about $25 million from 2009-2013 supporting food 中心s.
In this Dec. 16, 2014 photo, Sam Rothberg, packing house 監督者 for the Intervale Food 中心 in Burlington, Vt., packs carrots into 週刊誌 配達／演説／出産s of food produced by area 農業者s. Food 中心s around the country are getting more fresh, 地元で produced food out to 消費者s and giving 農業者s another avenue for 拡大するing their sales. (AP Photo/Lisa Rathke)
The number of food 中心s has 二塁打d over the last six years, and many are in 都市の areas, with the Northeast 主要な the way. Some operate as nonprofits, others are for-利益（をあげる） or 生産者-消費者 協同組合s. Some are modeled after CSAs, or community supported 農業, where 消費者s 支払う／賃金 up 前線 for food throughout the season.
That's how the Intervale Food 中心 in Burlington, Vermont, 作品, with 30 farms, 15 specialty 生産者s and 1,100 members who 選ぶ up their 週刊誌 bundles at さまざまな 場所／位置s around the city. The 投機・賭ける started in 2008 with just 192 members and 24 farms.
合法的な 長官 Betsy Bourbeau says the food 中心's 配達／演説／出産s to her place of work are more convenient than shopping at 農業者s' markets and 削減（する）s 負かす／撃墜する time at the 蓄える／店.
"I spend much いっそう少なく time looking at grocery sales, clipping coupons, 運動ing around town and finding parking. I just bring home my food on Wednesday and 人物／姿／数字 out what to make," said Bourbeau, 50, who gets produce, bread, cheese, eggs and specialty items f or about $38.50 a week ― いっそう少なく than she would spend at a 農業者s' market.
For 農業者s, food 中心s 供給する 配当, marketing and, in some 事例／患者s, 過程ing and 貯蔵.
予報するing what will sell at a 農業者s' market is a challenge, によれば Ray Tyler of Rosecreek Farms in Selmer, Tennessee. By getting 伴う／関わるd with the Bring It Food 中心 in Memphis, Tyler can 計画（する） ahead for the next growing season, when the 中心 計画（する）s to 二塁打 its 会員の地位 to 400.
"基本的に instead of us spending all this time on marketing, we can now spend more time doing what we love to do and that is growing 広大な／多数の／重要な food," he said.
The 現れるing 商売／仕事 model can be challenging, says Bring It Food 中心 操作／手術s 経営者／支配人 Alex Greene, because you have to cater to 顧客s and be 柔軟な with 農業者s, whose 製品 is at the mercy of 天候. Food 中心 leaders need "a sense of the end 製品" and have to learn the 兵たん業務, 加える "managing the website, the online credit card system and other technical 事柄s," Greene said.
To that end, the University of Vermont is starting in January what it says is the nation's first Food 中心 管理／経営 証明書 Program.
"Many food 中心s are up-and-coming 商売／仕事s with staff who need その上の training or experience," Cynthia Belliveau, dean of Continuing and Distance Education, said in a news 解放（する）. "High-質 staffing is one of the greatest challenges food 中心s 直面する, and it's also a 重要な 与える／捧げるing factor to their success."
One of the two 農業者s' markets that Josephine and Randy Alexander of Tubby Creek Farm in Ashland, Mississippi, had planned on selling at fell through this year, but they were able to sell most of the extra produce to the food 中心.
The Alexanders are 現在／一般に planning ahead for their next season's food 中心 offerings ― carrots, salad turnips and lettuce mix.
"It 簡単にするs it a little bit for us and that way we can do more of those things that we do really 井戸／弁護士席, in 的d way," she said.
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Online:
Food 中心 directory: http://www.ngfn.org/資源s/food-中心s#section-10
In this Dec. 16, 2014 photo, Sam Rothberg, packing house 監督者 for the Intervale Food 中心 in Burlington, Vt., packs carrots into 週刊誌 配達／演説／出産s of food produced by area 農業者s. Food 中心s around the country are getting more fresh, 地元で produced food out to 消費者s and giving 農業者s another avenue for 拡大するing their sales. (AP Photo/Lisa Rathke)
In this Dec. 16, 2014 photo, a 週刊誌 配達／演説／出産 of food produced by area 農業者s is packed at Intervale Food 中心 in Burlington, Vt. Food 中心s around the country are getting more fresh, 地元で produced food out to 消費者s and giving 農業者s another avenue for 拡大するing their sales. (AP Photo/Lisa Rathke)
