By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent

ANNVILLE, Ky. — As the move toward local foods and value-added farm products grows, the need for proper processing facilities has grown, as well.
In some cases producers have built their own, but all too often the immediate cost of getting set up to mass-produce those goods outweighs the future profit potential. The nonprofit group Appalachian Alternative Agriculture for Jackson County in eastern Kentucky saw this need nearly a decade ago, and has worked that long to get the Jackson County Regional Food Center (JCRFC) started.

The center has a commercial kitchen complete with everything needed to enable users to process and package their products. There is also a farmers’ market that operates during the growing season three days a week at the center and a docking station for Kentucky State University’s Mobile Processing Unit, which travels around the state and helps with poultry processing.
Jeff Henderson, Jackson County’s University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension agent for agriculture and natural resources, said the center opened for operation about a year ago and has seen a slow but steady increase of those capitalizing on its presence.

“The goal of the group was to allow local and regional farmers and entrepreneurs to establish a home-based business, but we knew that would be slow in coming; but we do see it picking up,” he said.

Many who have established a product are now coming back more and more, utilizing the facility and all it offers, something that is very important for the center, added Henderson.

“Anyone can take their idea or recipe and develop it into a product and mass-produce it,” he said. “The kitchen is available on a rental-fee basis with all its equipment and there is also a kitchen manager there, with a wealth of experience and knowledge in this area, providing his expertise.”

Henderson said while there are many commercial kitchens around, the JCRFC is unique in that it has mass production capabilities. One customer recently processed and packaged 2,000 jars of salsa. Another, who comes from Tennessee, has visited the center at least five times, producing 150-200 cases of barbeque sauce each time.

Henderson noted it is the hope of organizers to see dozens of people like that from the Jackson County and southeastern Kentucky area produce at that level.

With the presence of the farmers’ market, many of the center’s customers don’t have to go far to find a venue for their products; items that include, in addition to the salsa and barbeque sauces, salad dressings, baked herbal bread, hot sauces and even strawberry preserves created by the local high school sold as a fundraiser.

Even the group that created the center has joined in to set an example and show others how easy it is to utilize the facility.

On the flip side, farmers who have goods that don’t sell at the farmers’ market can use the center to turn that produce into something else, creating a win-win situation for them. The bottom line is what entices producers to take the first step in creating those value-added products, and the food center helps to make the decision a little easier.

“With the certifications one would have to get and the equipment one would have to have, you could be looking at $20,000 to $25,000 in overhead,” said Henderson. “The food center has all the infrastructure in place, plus the expertise to do all that for you, available on a rental basis.”

So far Henderson has seen the center cater to both farmers and non-farmers, all with an idea or a special recipe to share, something the organizers wanted from the start. The poultry processing facility adds to the diversity of the center and has shown signs of success, as well, according to Henderson.
The KSU mobile processing unit has the ability to process, package and cool the poultry products, all according to state certification guidelines.
Whether the center is contributing to the increased demand for local products or vice versa, Henderson said many farmers have commented there is more interest in local goods now than in years past.

“We would love to see a few more farmers involved in this because we are seeing quite an increase in the number of people that are coming to our markets,” he said. “It has been a very satisfying feeling for the all-volunteer group that had this idea eight or nine years ago and to see it actually in operation now.”

Henderson pointed out there are still hurdles, including money to keep the momentum going and take care of operating expenses, but the organizers continue to explore new funding opportunities as the center’s clientele grows.