Montgomery County’s Office of Food Systems Resilience has awarded Seven Sisters Food Hub, a new venture from Moon Valley Farm, a $550,000 grant to establish and operate a food aggregation facility in the County.
The facility is intended to connect small local farms with larger customers such as schools, hospitals and restaurants. Seven Sisters will provide services including refrigerated transportation, cold storage, processing and distribution, allowing smaller producers to access institutional and wholesale markets that can be difficult to serve independently.
According to the County, the project is expected to create 10 local jobs during its first year and grow to more than 30 jobs by the end of the four-year grant period. The facility will handle products including produce, meat, dairy, cheese, grains, flour and beans.
The hub will also include dedicated washing and cutting capacity for fruits and vegetables. County officials say that could create additional markets for surplus and cosmetically imperfect produce that might otherwise go unsold, helping reduce food waste.
“Montgomery County has more than 100 farms producing food, but many smaller farmers don’t have the capacity to sell to schools, hospitals, restaurants and other large customers,” County Executive Marc Elrich said. “This investment helps close that gap, creating new markets for farmers and keeping more of the money we spend on food in our regional economy.”
The grant includes $300,000 awarded to Montgomery County through the Maryland Agricultural and Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation for construction and other capital needs. The County also plans to dedicate $300,000 during the grant’s second year to encourage purchases by institutions and restaurants and support nonprofits sourcing Montgomery County food products.
Seven Sisters will also provide technical assistance to farms seeking to meet institutional purchasing requirements. Moon Valley Farm founder Emma Jagoz said the project will create a physical home for work the farm and food hub have been developing for years and help strengthen Maryland’s regional food system.
