History/Updates
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::What is a Food Hub?
“A food hub is a centrally located facility with a business management structure facilitating the aggregation, storage, processing, distributions, and/or marketing of locally/regionally produced food products.”
The voters approved the following:
“We the citizens of Jericho propose the formation of Jericho as a vital Food Hub for the citizens of its town and environs. A Food Hub Task Force will be established, with the goal of increasing food self-sufficiency via the production, manufacture and distribution of local food.”
“A food hub is a centrally located facility with a business management structure facilitating the aggregation, storage, processing, distributions, and/or marketing of locally/regionally produced food products.”
The voters approved the following:
“We the citizens of Jericho propose the formation of Jericho as a vital Food Hub for the citizens of its town and environs. A Food Hub Task Force will be established, with the goal of increasing food self-sufficiency via the production, manufacture and distribution of local food.”
The issue:
Today our food system is a food ‘chain’ where food producers are completely disconnected from the food consumers. Disconnected from our food origins, we do not interact with the people who grow, process and manufacture the food. With disruptions in the food chain, we already see prices soaring and are relying increasingly on the behaviors of faraway suppliers. We are seeing both drought and flooding in the central and western USA where much of our food originates. Can we continue to depend on them to feed us?
Our dream:
What if Jericho citizens supported each other via a food sharing program benefiting them as well as their neighbor? What if additional land in the town were set aside to support growing crops, raising chickens, beef and pork, with the goal of making Jericho much more self-sufficient food wise? What if we set up a town center that supported the small business person and grocery stores, to open specialty stores or restaurants featuring foods produced in this town?
A food sovereign town would host many new jobs and opportunities from growing the food to running storage facilities and operating distribution and access programs. Not all people are good a farming or even want to grow a garden, but they may have other skills that they can use to support the system, or they can support the effort by spending their money locally. Other people are skilled at gardening/farming and/or raising livestock. Such people are major assets, and should be supported by Town policies that lead us toward food sovereignty.
As we learn to deal with climate change and its uncertainties, Jericho could respond proactively by assessing its own resources and how they can be leveraged to support its citizens. We have an opportunity to build food resiliency over time by practicing how to take care of ourselves, building community structures supportive of feeding and nurturing our residents regardless of what happens outside our region.
Today our food system is a food ‘chain’ where food producers are completely disconnected from the food consumers. Disconnected from our food origins, we do not interact with the people who grow, process and manufacture the food. With disruptions in the food chain, we already see prices soaring and are relying increasingly on the behaviors of faraway suppliers. We are seeing both drought and flooding in the central and western USA where much of our food originates. Can we continue to depend on them to feed us?
Our dream:
What if Jericho citizens supported each other via a food sharing program benefiting them as well as their neighbor? What if additional land in the town were set aside to support growing crops, raising chickens, beef and pork, with the goal of making Jericho much more self-sufficient food wise? What if we set up a town center that supported the small business person and grocery stores, to open specialty stores or restaurants featuring foods produced in this town?
A food sovereign town would host many new jobs and opportunities from growing the food to running storage facilities and operating distribution and access programs. Not all people are good a farming or even want to grow a garden, but they may have other skills that they can use to support the system, or they can support the effort by spending their money locally. Other people are skilled at gardening/farming and/or raising livestock. Such people are major assets, and should be supported by Town policies that lead us toward food sovereignty.
As we learn to deal with climate change and its uncertainties, Jericho could respond proactively by assessing its own resources and how they can be leveraged to support its citizens. We have an opportunity to build food resiliency over time by practicing how to take care of ourselves, building community structures supportive of feeding and nurturing our residents regardless of what happens outside our region.
Underhill team joins forces with JFHTF |
Early in 2024, the Underhill Local Agriculture and Local Foods Initiative joined forces with JFHTF to broaden not only the number of farmers but to double the size of the community we serve. JFHTF is excited to have more enthusiastic people pursuing a Food Hub concept with us.
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How can I stay informed and/or get involved?
Monthly updates are provided here! The Jericho Underhill Food Hub meets on the 4th Wednesday of each month at 6pm at the Deborah Rawson Memorial Library, but check this website’s calendar to make sure! Check out the website: www.jufoodhub.org Take our survey! Information gathered from this survey is very helpful:https://forms.gle/uy3qVyA6fXDB3h227 Media: https://www.vermontpublic.org/local-news/2025-08-19/local-food-booster-club-jericho- Meeting Updates July 22, 2026 Facilitator: Emily T Present: John C, Josh, Cal, John, Marj, Jeff, Zoe, Emily T 6:00 Agenda revisions, note-taker ● New attendees - Cal and Josh (Underhill) 6:05 Treasurer’s Report and Fundraising - Rose ● Since we announced at the last meeting a need for funds and following our email blast to members, we have raised $2578 from 9 members (including 1 very generous member). You can let people know I am working on sending out thank you's and donation receipts. ● Need to organize refreshment fundraiser at upcoming Blue Grass event August 2nd - 4:30-7:30 ACTION STEPS ● Emily will make a bake signup to send to members ● Also still needed is someone to staff the bake sale table and take donations ● Fall fundraising brainstorm ● 5K? ● Free car wash (Jeff) ○ Once raised $14,000 doing this ○ Sponsors say they’ll donate x amount/car that is washed and then you tally it up ○ Raffle/silent auction event 6:15 Board updates: ● Grants in the works ● John Connell is meeting with local banks in late July to ask for more money● Commercial Kitchen plans using Browns River Middle School ● Zoe remembers last year there was a farm that would donate excess tomatoes but just needed somewhere and some place to process them ○ Could we organize people to process those? Where would they go? School? Food shelves? ● Farmer Forum, Fall planning, topic ideas needed ● Might make sense to keep it open to the public, could get more food hub members this way● Food makers (bakers, etc) Meeting - plan for January Action steps from board meeting: ● Dave will apply for Lawson’s focusing on community meals and mailer ● Deanna will create survey to ask about commercial kitchen space needs ● Sandy will send ask to members for bringing baked goods ● Jeff needs volunteers for running bake sale and bring baked goods 6:45 POD Updates as needed ● Community Pizza bake - Emily ● Josh and Jeff signed up to volunteer● Community Meal - Aug 16 11-1 at Davis Farm ● Can store Blackstone at John Connell’s● Right to Food - Grace ● Do people need help getting to the farms? Should we organize a field trip? Maybe it’s just unknown territory to go to the farm so a field trip could help get over that hurdle. ● If CSA members have a surplus/unwanted items, there could be a donation/swap box● Farm Assistance - Deanna ● Mapping work - Adam ● Potato patch updates - John K, Amy ● Going great● Greenhouse tour, Sunday, July 26, 1:00-4:30 - Linda ● Summary -July 2nd Farmer’s Market Table ● Jericho Underhill Energy Fair Sept. 22 - Michael, Linda Other topics ● Harvest Market ○ What item would we give away/sell? ○ Make flyers about who we are? ○ Giveaway for signing up as member? ○ Sell farm merch for a small cut? ○ Exact location of table? ● Workshops brainstorm ○ Cal can do pickling - “How to get into a Pickle” ○ Josh - making pizza ○ Emily/Paddy can do goat yogurt/goat husbandry ○ Fruit Pruning? ○ Cal - tomato management ● Mailer ○ Can we get feedback at community meal about it? ○ John C asked if there are funds available to print more or are there more around to distribute? |
