A recent visit to Vermont showed the FDA how Vermont is using smart and creative tools to make local growers and food producers successful. Deputy FDA Commissioner Michael Taylor said, "What they are doing here is truly impressive and bodes well for the robust and highly diverse local food systems in New England."

"Innovation was the theme of our day in Vermont on Wednesday, Aug. 21. We visited food operations that have developed enterprising ways to make the most of local produce markets and to expand the options available to both growers and entrepreneurs.

Our first stop was at the Mad River Food Hub in Waitsfield. Food hubs are all about connecting small farms with markets. They distribute locally grown foods in a way that would otherwise be difficult for the owner of a small farm.

Owner Robin Morris has also provided space for the use of small food businesses. People who want to make and sell food but do not have their own facility rent space at Mad River, using the industrial kitchen, cutting room and other facilities there.

It’s an enterprising way to provide a critical service and is a central part of the economic model of a local food system. Small-scale entrepreneurs can get a start in a licensed facility, while keeping costs at a manageable level."

Read the blog post by Deputy FDA Commissioner Michael Taylor: In Vermont, Innovation Advances Local Food Systems, which also features the Intervale Food Hub and Hartshorn Farm.