The Makings of a Regional Food Hub
October 26th, 2023
[Read time: 4 minutes]
Framed by towering stalks of corn and bright blooms of marigolds, James Nakahara (KTA), KTA client Verónica Mazariegos-Anastassiou (Brisa Ranch), Kathy Webster (TomKat Ranch), and Eliza Milio (San Mateo Resource Conservation District) gathered together around a folding table. Energy hummed and reverberated across the group as they caught up, shared new learnings, and updated one another on regional happenings. Eventually, conversations turned toward the future — specifically, hopes for farmers on the San Mateo Coast and ideas for collaboration.
It was this same energy and mutual vision for a collaborative and equitable food system that led the group to discussions about the development of a regional food hub serving the San Mateo Coast. Now, with months of research and conversation under their belt, the group is hoping to move their vision forward, bringing a potential nexus point for improved distribution and local food access into reality.
The idea for a food hub on the San Mateo Coast was born over coffee. For years, Kathy and James had been regularly connecting to catch up and share important updates about the work that their two organizations lead. Over time, Vero started joining these meetings, and the conversation shifted towards how to best support the agricultural viability of producers on the coastside. The notion of a food hub surfaced organically from these conversations, representing a model through which James, Kathy, and Vero could translate some of their hopes for the food system into a proactive, region-focused project. Eventually, they reached out to San Mateo County's Agricultural Ombudsman Adria Arko about how to bring their idea to fruition.
Wanting to hear more from local producers and stakeholders, James, Kathy, Vero, and Adria created the San Mateo County Producer Working Group, funded through a UC SAREP Grant, that convened over ten diverse regional producers in a forum where they could highlight their experiences. Over the course of five meetings, the group was able to identify shared challenges such as the length of the supply chain, transportation and distribution complexities, barriers to market access, and lack of communal infrastructure. The challenges highlighted by the working group echoed those recognized in the region through previous feasibility studies. With the needs and challenges of regional producers clear, the group affirmed their direction toward establishing a regional food hub on the San Mateo Coast.
This visual represents potential producers, functions, and buyers that the proposed San Mateo Coast Food Hub could support.
The San Mateo County Producer Working Group developed a Food Hub Concept Proposal to help shepherd the vision into being. Led by the Project Team of James, Kathy, Vero, and Adria, the group has applied for USDA Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) funding to conduct a business feasibility assessment and develop a business plan for the food hub*. The hub is intended to improve the viability of local farming operations on the coast through multiple avenues: access to new market streams, creating logistical efficiencies through aggregation opportunities, and building shared infrastructure for storage and processing. With over 400 producers on small to mid-sized farms and ranches between Pacifica and Pescadero producing a mix of vegetables, flowers, and meat, the hub’s proximity to large urban centers positions it to be particularly valuable for the collective distribution and marketing of agricultural products across Northern California. Once established, the hub would also foster opportunities for institutional purchasing and value-added processing, contributing to a more deeply rooted food culture on the San Mateo Coast.
Driven by their common values and unique lived experiences, the Project Team looks to continue engaging their community and connecting with like-minded individuals, institutions, and government agencies to fulfill their shared vision. As a small-scale farmer, Vero has provided vital input as a producer in the region and a food systems advocate. James brings small farm business and production experience and, via his role as a Farm Business Advisor at KTA, has been able to support through thought partnership, stakeholder outreach, and resource generation. Kathy has provided similar thought partnership and co-op leadership experience while Eliza and Adria have offered a vital connection to county government and the regional community as Agricultural Ombudsmen. By seeding the concept of a regional food hub, James, Kathy, Eliza, Adria, and Vero are hoping to build something new and lasting for farmers and ranchers on the San Mateo Coast, dismantling institutional barriers and fostering a more equitable, community-led system.
*Note: As of November 1st 2023, the San Mateo Coast Food Hub was officially awarded an LFPP grant to support the project’s further development.
Stay in touch with the San Mateo Coast Food Hub - email eliza@sanmateorcd.org to receive regular updates from the project team.
Learn more about the project in TomKat Ranch’s article, “Food Hub It Is! San Mateo County Producer Working Group’s Proposal”
Within KTA, the San Mateo Coast Food Hub is led by Senior Farm Business Advisor James Nakahara as part of Ecosystem Building work. Our Ecosystem Building program activates and supports collaborative projects that create more equitable access to land, capital, and markets for small sustainable producers.
PC: Soraya Matos