Hello Friends,
The Local Food Hub is on the Board of Supervisors agenda on Wednesday morning. If you would like to take part in the public comment period please come and sign up to speak by 8:45am. The meeting is being held in the big room at the Albemarle County office building off of McIntire Road.
If you feel qualified or compelled to speak to any of the following topics, it will help The Local Food Hub cause:
Why you think this is a useful application of taxpayer money:
- more healthy food in our schools, restaurants and institutions
- a good use of our areas natural resources, conservation of land, environmental issues
- economic benefits that will keep $ in our area, tangible and intangible benefits
- in these tough economic times, families with access to land could supplement their household income by growing good food for us all
- small farms are disappearing, the average age of farmers in VA is 59.5, need to offer training and support services to encourage the next generation of farmers
- farming jobs are good jobs even if the average income isn't always $42K making them officially "high-wage" jobs
- will promote and sustain our rich agricultural heritage
- we need to insure our area's food security
Here's what I sent:
ReplyDeleteDear Mr. Dorrier,
We are writing this letter in support of the Local Food Hub, which will provide much needed facilities in Albemarle and its surrounding counties. This is a community effort that will enhance the economic and social benefits of a local food system. It is imperative to our local economy, our food security, our environment and our community's health that we invest in the necessary infrastructure needed to support and build a local food system. The Local Food Hub will address many of the barriers that we now face.
One of the greatest challenges for our farmers is getting their fresh product to market. The Local Food Hub will provide area growers with much needed assistance for the transportation, storing, and processing of produce. In this economy, now is the time for direct, wise government investment in sustainable businesses that protect our environment while building our economy.
Please vote "Yes" to their request for funding in the full amount of $80,000 thus enabling the Local Food Hub to collect its committed matching funds. Nelson County has already stepped up to the plate and provided money. I've worked with Kate on this project and she has done the research to make this a success!
Thank you for supporting agriculture and our local economy.
Sincerely,
Anne and Derek Bedarf
Scottsville District, Albemarle County
2425 Gobblers Rdg
Charlottesville, VA 22902
These are all important issues! The one that I feel will be most compelling to the Board of Supervisors concerns the economic benefits to the county. I see the Local Food Hub as an essential support for growing local businesses and for very good farmers and gardeners who may not be so good at marketing their "product." My wife and I worked for years as market gardeners at the City Market; a Local Food Hub would have been a huge help to us as we were trying to take our business to the next level. I notice that every year new growers start up at the City Market. Very few of them have all the skills needed to both productively farm and productively market and sell their goods. The Local Food Hub is the next logical and critical step to allowing those new farmers and market gardeners to thrive and to build benefits for our wonderful local community.
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