Choose an aggregation site

You don’t need fancy coolers to get started. You can begin by receiving, packing and delivering all on the same day, using a bare bones  work space. It could be in a corner of a farmers markets where producers already gather, or it could be at predetermined site, like a pack room of a farm or community center that you borrow for a morning once a week.

When you outgrow the “pop-up food hub” model and look to invest in a dedicated space, these are a few factors to consider:

• Traffic patterns and proximity to highways

• Proximity to farms

• Proximity to customers

• Proximity to your current site

• Price per square foot – can you afford it?

• Security of site – will your trucks get vandalized?

• Neighbors – will truck traffic be a bother?

• Loading docks

• Proximity of storage to loading docks

• Power reliability

• Space available for growth — for storage, processing, retail