A loose group of organizers is hoping to identify issues related to the production of local food, and maybe improve health and nutrition in the process.
Local food options already exist in the form of farmer’s markets, and organic food stores. Unfortunately, no place currently exists to purchase locally grown food in sufficient quantities to serve at restaurants or schools.
Chris Kline is the Sustainability Coordinator at Culver Military Academies. He says this is a continuation of something that has been going on in the community for a long time.
“There’s nothing formal yet, there’s no organization created,” says Kline. “Right now, it’s just a bunch of interested people in the community, and we’re really in the process now of trying to identify other interested people.”
The conversation was initially started to address the challenge of serving locally produced food during lunches at Culver Academies.
Meetings have been held to determine if there is interest to eventually sell to an entity that might work to sort and aggregate food products for eventual sale to other large entities on a local basis. A food summit could eventually be held to bring Starke, Fulton, and Pulaski County into the conversation.
Kline says they’re looking to Purdue Extension for Guidance on the process.
“It could be local food, it might be more community gardens,” says Kline. “I just don’t know, and that’s why we’re trying to pull people who have an interest together and see what comes up.”
Other issues such as how to serve food pantries, and providing greater food security, may also become a subject of conversation that any future food hub entity could solve.
Right now, no formal organizing process exists, as just a few individuals are working on the project. Kline says there’s not a strict time frame for implementing the group’s ideas.
